What is the meaning of deferred vat input?

Deferred VAT input refers to the value-added tax (VAT) that a business has incurred on its purchases but has not yet claimed as a tax credit because it plans to offset it against future VAT liabilities. This typically occurs when a business's input VAT exceeds its output VAT in a given period, leading to a situation where the excess can be carried forward to future tax periods for recovery. This mechanism helps businesses manage cash flow and ensures that they are not unfairly taxed on their expenses.