VAT refunds for museums by Christmas
The Treasury has published the list of museums and galleries which will benefit from the VAT refund scheme announced in the March Budget, which will allow visitors free admission to their permanent collections.
Financial secretary to the Treasury, Paul Boateng, said the VAT reform will make free entry to national museums and galleries a reality by ‘no later than 1 December’.
And Tessa Jowell, the secretary of state for culture, said the removal of the VAT was one of the ’25 steps to a better Britain that the government had promised to deliver’.
She added: ‘As part of our commitment to strengthen the role of the arts in our national life, we want everyone to be able to enjoy the great collections in our national museums and galleries for free.’
Museums on the list include some of London’s most popular visitor attractions. The British Museum, the National Gallery, the Natural History Museum, the Imperial War Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern, the British Library, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Royal Armouries all feature. Outside London the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester and the National Museums and Galleries of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are included.
Links
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VAT move may end museum entry fees
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