Zoos await VAT ruling
Zoos across the UK are expected to hear on Thursday whether they'll be able to claim back as much as £30m in VAT when the European Court of Justice issues a verdict.
Finance chiefs at the London Zoological Society hope they can recover between £5m and £10m while up to eight zoos also hope to win back a combined sum of between £20m and £30m.
Advised by Ernst & Young VAt experts the zoos claims they should not have been paying the tax on admission charges since 1990.
The case hinges on European law introduced by the UK in 1996 which gives some charitable acitivities, including admission charges, a VAT exemption status.