VAT refund schemes ― museums and galleries

Produced by a Tolley Value Added Tax expert
Value Added Tax
Guidance

VAT refund schemes ― museums and galleries

Produced by a Tolley Value Added Tax expert
Value Added Tax
Guidance
imgtext

This guidance note covers the special VAT refund scheme that applies to certain museums and galleries.

For in-depth commentary on the legislation, see De Voil Indirect Tax Service V5.162A.

VAT refund scheme for museums and galleries ― the basics

Museums and galleries which allow members of the public to enter free of charge can apply to join a scheme entitling them to refunds of VAT incurred on costs which would not otherwise be recoverable.

To be eligible for the scheme a museum must meet certain conditions, such as being open to the general public for at least 30 hours per week.

The application process involves obtaining support from one of a set of governmental administrations or departments (eg the Department for Culture, Media and Sport).

Once within the scheme, the museum or gallery may reclaim VAT which is attributable to free admission. This can include (for example) VAT incurred on items and collections on display.

Museums and galleries which can apply to join the scheme

To qualify for the

Continue reading the full document
To gain access to additional expert tax guidance, workflow tools, generative tax AI, and tax research, register for a free trial of Tolley+™
Powered by Tolley+
  • 27 Oct 2025 12:30

Popular Articles

Loans provided to employees

Loans provided to employeesEmployers sometimes provide their employees with loans, sometimes charging interest and often not, either as part of the reward package or to help the individual meet significant expenditure. For example, it is common to provide loans for the purchase of annual travel

14 Jul 2020 12:11 | Produced by Tolley Read more Read more

Timing of disposal for capital gains tax

Timing of disposal for capital gains taxDate of disposalThe date of the disposal determines the period in which the gain is subject to capital gains tax (CGT). When the rates of CGT change, the determination of the date of disposal can also affect the rate of CGT that applies to the gain.See the

14 Jul 2020 13:50 | Produced by Tolley Read more Read more

Tax implications of administration and liquidation

Tax implications of administration and liquidationThis guidance considers the tax implications of a company going into administration or liquidation.Introduction to company administration and liquidationCompany going into administrationA company which is in financial difficulty may go into

14 Jul 2020 15:29 | Produced by Tolley Read more Read more