The Listed Property Owners Club (LPOC) petition to the Chancellor for reduced VAT on select listed building (LB) works, supported by the IHBC, has passed 10,000 signatures, so the government will now respond formally, while IHBC Chair James Caird said: ‘Now let’s lift our ambitions and try for 100,000 and get a real parliamentary debate.’
James Caird explained: ‘The IHBC has campaigned for many years for VAT on repairs to historic buildings and supports the Listed Property Owners’ Club in this petition. It is great news for us – and for anyone that cares about our historic places – that the first 10,000 target has been reached. Now we need to see if we can make it to 100,000 and secure a debate in parliament.’
‘We all know that buildings are listed because of their importance to the nation, and lower VAT on repairs to listed buildings is one way the nation could support owners in their common goal.’
‘The 10,000 signatories show we have clear consensus that good maintenance is the key to low ownership costs, and that it remains perverse that repairs should be subject to VAT when new development is not.’
‘Maybe we can now read the message more widely, and see if we can lift this initiative from the LPOC to the next level, and prove that the heritage sector really can punch above its weight by getting 100000 signatories and a parliamentary debate in Whitehall.
Government writes [of the petition]:
- Government will respond
- Government responds to all petitions that get more than 10,000 signatures
- Government responds to all petitions that get more than 10,000 signatures
- At 100,000 signatures, this petition will be considered for debate in Parliament
For more information and to sign the petition visit www.lpoc.co.uk/vatpetition and encourage your customers to do the same.
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For more background see the NewsBlogs
