VAT change demanded after memorial fiasco
A VAT expert are calling for a change in the law after a tactical withdrawal by Customs and Excise over a bill for maintaining a military memorial in central London.
Link: VAT controversy afflicts memorial gates
Peter Ladanyi, of Chantrey Vellacott, took on Customs and Excise on a no-fee basis over a bill issued to the charity responsible for maintaining the Royal Marines memorial in The Mall.
Customs and Excise demanded more than £10,000, insisting the memorial might be used for ‘business purposes’. MPs and peers, alongside veterans, pointed out that the Graspan memorial was built and maintained by public subscription.
‘There is the wider issue of memorials up and down the country whose maintenance may still be subject to VAT,’ he said. ‘The Customs and Excise decision is very welcome, but there is still a need for clarity on this issue.’
Customs and Excise confirmed an agreement had been reached and that the government was looking at taxation issues surrounding public memorials.