VAT on Alterations to Listed Buildings On 21st March 2012, in the budget, the government announced its intention to remove the zero rate of VAT for approved alterations to listed buildings. This means that from 1st October 2012 the standard rate of VAT will apply to the alteration of a listed building. The Listed Property Owners Club together with other organisations supporting the “Cut the VAT Campaign” feel the decision to add 20% VAT to approved alterations of a listed building will have serious negative consequences. You can help! If you agree with this point of view, contact your MP
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Today, the Chancellor of the Exchequer made an astonishing, and unexpected, announcement that will affect a significant number of owners of listed properties in the UK. In short, the VAT relief that currently applies to alterations to listed buildings is being withdrawn with effect from 1 October 2012. The Chancellor described the existing relief as an ‘anomaly’, which “gives a perverse incentive for change as opposed to repair”. He also considers that the majority of the work covered by the relief consists of “extension work which is not necessary for heritage”. Admittedly, extensions currently qualify for VAT relief at present,
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In issue 74 we included the above article, which has received the following feedback from our readers: —- As a Conservation Officer in the current economic climate I would wish to support such a proposal. The provision of Local Authority conservation expertise is not a statutory government requirement and the charging of fees for LBC would strenthen the role of Conservation Officers, effectively paying for some of their work. Our group of Conservation Officers across North Yorkshire feel very vulnerable to cuts in this economic downturn and this proposal could prevent the loss of any further Conservation Officers which are
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UK Heritage at risk as councils subsidise planning fess: Leading local authorities with the largest number of listed buildings across the UK have joined forces to urge the Government to free them from fixed planning fees which cost taxpayers millions and in the current financial climate are unsustainable, putting the nation’s historic architecture at risk. City of Westminster reports as follows: Due to outdated rules taxpayers effectively subsidise some of the wealthiest developers in the UK as councils cannot recover their costs from handling complex planning applications. The worst affected councils, are home to some of the country’s most historic
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