Listed Building VAT

[Flyfisher]

If anyone is interested there's a petition in progress to encourage government to reduce listed building repair/alteration works to 5%.
I'm not holding my breath but I guess it can do no harm.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/223075

 

[Cubist]

Cheers Flyfisher, thats me signed up.

 

[88v8]

Signed.
Ta muchly.
Better than nothing.
But in this age of populism and 'equality' such petitions will never gain traction.
After all, only the rich own listed buildings, innit.

Would much prefer a token 10% off the Rates.
We can dream.

Ivor

 

[masochists-r-us]

Duly signed. Thanks Flyfisher. Only 1200 more signatures needed to get this discussed in Parliament so let's all do our bit and get behind this with our friends and relatives too.

 

[tobydog]

Also duly signed. I've been tracking this via the Listed Property Owners Club. I'm not actually a member but they kept emailing me with updates. They have been lobbying Ministers/MP's for several years.

 

[tobydog]

Unfortunately, as expected, received the following response to the petition:

The Government has responded to the petition you signed – “Reduce VAT to 5% on repairs and approved alterations to listed buildings.”.
Government responded:

We recognise the valuable contribution to UK Heritage made by owners of listed buildings. We continue to promote our country’s heritage and we will ensure that everyone can enjoy and benefit from it.
Protecting and making the most of the UK’s heritage is important for our economy and society. We released a Heritage Statement in 2017, setting out how we will support the heritage sector.
Historic England and the Heritage Lottery Fund provide advice and support for the conservation of heritage, including listed buildings. The government recognises the particular challenges faced by private owners of listed properties in planning regulations, and this is why we have introduced measures to streamline the listed buildings consent regime. These measures include giving local authorities the power to grant a general consent for minor works to listed buildings, this removes the need for specific applications for these types of works.
VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption and the standard rate of twenty per cent applies to most goods and services. While there are exceptions to the standard rate, these are strictly limited by domestic and EU law as well as by fiscal considerations. VAT is an important source of revenue which is used to fund the government’s public spending priorities including hospitals, schools and defence.
Under EU law, a reduced rate of five percent could be applied to alterations or repairs of buildings, but it would not be possible to limit this to alterations and repairs of only listed buildings. Introducing a reduced rate is estimated to cost the Exchequer at least £2.5 billion a year and this would have to be balanced by increased taxes elsewhere, reductions in government spending, or borrowing. While all taxes are kept under review, the government has no plans to change the VAT treatment of renovations and repairs at this time.

HM Treasury

Click this link to view the response online:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/223075?reveal_response=yes

The Petitions Committee will take a look at this petition and its response. They can press the government for action and gather evidence. If this petition reaches 100,000 signatures, the Committee will consider it for a debate.

The Committee is made up of 11 MPs, from political parties in government and in opposition. It is entirely independent of the Government. Find out more about the Committee:
https://petition.parliament.uk/help#petitions-committee

Thanks,
The Petitions team
UK Government and Parliament

 

[Cubist]

Yeah, I got the same notification yesterday.

So its all the fault of those nasty EU people - what a surprise. I suspect though whichever way the Brxit boat sails change will not be considered or forthcoming.

 

[a twig]

Load of pish - the Gov already distinguishes between certain types of buildings and their VAT liability, e.g. monasteries, nunnerys, new build residential etc.

No reason why they couldn't do the same for listed

 

[Abi Cott]

I got the same drivel. The sooner we get out of the EU the better as far as I'm concerned. I'm fed up with politicians blaming the EU for their inaction. Particularly when most of the time UK politicians have been intrinsic in creating the legislation concerned.

"Its not our fault it's an EU directive" "please ignore the fact that we supported the EU directive you're talking about" Democracy? What democracy?

 

[Cubist]

They say that one should never discuss, among other things, religion and politics in conversation but from time to time its unavoidable.

Personally speaking I will regret our exit from the EU, for many reasons, but the uppermost at present is that we will lose the most readily available export market for our world class mendacious, bungling politicians and bureaucrats.