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Written Question
Duty Free Allowances: EU Countries
Wednesday 16th November 2022

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department made of the total cost of extending both the VAT Retail Export Scheme and airside tax-free shopping to EU visitors in September 2020.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Chancellor announced on 17 October 2022 that the Government will not be proceeding with plans to introduce a new VAT-free shopping scheme. This decision was included as part of the reversal of almost all of the tax measures set out in the Growth Plan on 23 September which have not been legislated for in Parliament. The Chancellor has taken these decisions to ensure the UK’s economic stability and to provide confidence in the Government’s commitment to fiscal discipline. The Chancellor made clear in his statement that the UK’s public finances must be on a sustainable path into the medium term.

Introducing VAT-free shopping would come at a significant fiscal cost as it would subsidise a large amount of tourist spending which already occurs without a tax relief in place.

The independent Office of Budget Responsibility published their assessment of the withdrawal of the previous VAT-free shopping schemes in November 2020. This showed that the withdrawal of VAT-free shopping would raise a significant amount of revenue and have a limited behavioural effect on decisions to visit, or spend, in the UK.


Written Question
Duty Free Allowances: EU Countries
Wednesday 16th November 2022

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department made of the total cost of retaining airside tax-free shopping and extending it to EU visitors in 2020.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Chancellor announced on 17 October 2022 that the Government will not be proceeding with plans to introduce a new VAT-free shopping scheme. This decision was included as part of the reversal of almost all of the tax measures set out in the Growth Plan on 23 September which have not been legislated for in Parliament. The Chancellor has taken these decisions to ensure the UK’s economic stability and to provide confidence in the Government’s commitment to fiscal discipline. The Chancellor made clear in his statement that the UK’s public finances must be on a sustainable path into the medium term.

Introducing VAT-free shopping would come at a significant fiscal cost as it would subsidise a large amount of tourist spending which already occurs without a tax relief in place.

The independent Office of Budget Responsibility published their assessment of the withdrawal of the previous VAT-free shopping schemes in November 2020. This showed that the withdrawal of VAT-free shopping would raise a significant amount of revenue and have a limited behavioural effect on decisions to visit, or spend, in the UK.


Written Question
Duty Free Allowances: EU Countries
Wednesday 16th November 2022

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department made of the additional (a) direct and (b) indirect tax revenues that would have been generated by extending airside tax-free shopping to EU visitors in 2020.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Chancellor announced on 17 October 2022 that the Government will not be proceeding with plans to introduce a new VAT-free shopping scheme. This decision was included as part of the reversal of almost all of the tax measures set out in the Growth Plan on 23 September which have not been legislated for in Parliament. The Chancellor has taken these decisions to ensure the UK’s economic stability and to provide confidence in the Government’s commitment to fiscal discipline. The Chancellor made clear in his statement that the UK’s public finances must be on a sustainable path into the medium term.

Introducing VAT-free shopping would come at a significant fiscal cost as it would subsidise a large amount of tourist spending which already occurs without a tax relief in place.

The independent Office of Budget Responsibility published their assessment of the withdrawal of the previous VAT-free shopping schemes in November 2020. This showed that the withdrawal of VAT-free shopping would raise a significant amount of revenue and have a limited behavioural effect on decisions to visit, or spend, in the UK.


Written Question
Duty Free Allowances: EU Countries
Wednesday 16th November 2022

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how his Department estimated the annual cost of extending airside tax-free shopping to EU visitors in 2020.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Chancellor announced on 17 October 2022 that the Government will not be proceeding with plans to introduce a new VAT-free shopping scheme. This decision was included as part of the reversal of almost all of the tax measures set out in the Growth Plan on 23 September which have not been legislated for in Parliament. The Chancellor has taken these decisions to ensure the UK’s economic stability and to provide confidence in the Government’s commitment to fiscal discipline. The Chancellor made clear in his statement that the UK’s public finances must be on a sustainable path into the medium term.

Introducing VAT-free shopping would come at a significant fiscal cost as it would subsidise a large amount of tourist spending which already occurs without a tax relief in place.

The independent Office of Budget Responsibility published their assessment of the withdrawal of the previous VAT-free shopping schemes in November 2020. This showed that the withdrawal of VAT-free shopping would raise a significant amount of revenue and have a limited behavioural effect on decisions to visit, or spend, in the UK.


Written Question
Duty Free Allowances: EU Countries
Wednesday 16th November 2022

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department made of the annual cost of extending airside tax-free shopping to EU visitors in 2020.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Chancellor announced on 17 October 2022 that the Government will not be proceeding with plans to introduce a new VAT-free shopping scheme. This decision was included as part of the reversal of almost all of the tax measures set out in the Growth Plan on 23 September which have not been legislated for in Parliament. The Chancellor has taken these decisions to ensure the UK’s economic stability and to provide confidence in the Government’s commitment to fiscal discipline. The Chancellor made clear in his statement that the UK’s public finances must be on a sustainable path into the medium term.

Introducing VAT-free shopping would come at a significant fiscal cost as it would subsidise a large amount of tourist spending which already occurs without a tax relief in place.

The independent Office of Budget Responsibility published their assessment of the withdrawal of the previous VAT-free shopping schemes in November 2020. This showed that the withdrawal of VAT-free shopping would raise a significant amount of revenue and have a limited behavioural effect on decisions to visit, or spend, in the UK.


Written Question
Exports: VAT
Wednesday 16th November 2022

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department made of the annual cost of retaining the VAT Retail Export Scheme and extending it to EU visitors in September 2020.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Chancellor announced on 17 October 2022 that the Government will not be proceeding with plans to introduce a new VAT-free shopping scheme. This decision was included as part of the reversal of almost all of the tax measures set out in the Growth Plan on 23 September which have not been legislated for in Parliament. The Chancellor has taken these decisions to ensure the UK’s economic stability and to provide confidence in the Government’s commitment to fiscal discipline. The Chancellor made clear in his statement that the UK’s public finances must be on a sustainable path into the medium term.

Introducing VAT-free shopping would come at a significant fiscal cost as it would subsidise a large amount of tourist spending which already occurs without a tax relief in place.

The independent Office of Budget Responsibility published their assessment of the withdrawal of the previous VAT-free shopping schemes in November 2020. This showed that the withdrawal of VAT-free shopping would raise a significant amount of revenue and have a limited behavioural effect on decisions to visit, or spend, in the UK.


Written Question
Exports: VAT
Wednesday 16th November 2022

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department made of the additional (a) direct and (b) indirect tax revenues that would have been generated by extending the VAT Retail Export Scheme to EU visitors in September 2020.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Chancellor announced on 17 October 2022 that the Government will not be proceeding with plans to introduce a new VAT-free shopping scheme. This decision was included as part of the reversal of almost all of the tax measures set out in the Growth Plan on 23 September which have not been legislated for in Parliament. The Chancellor has taken these decisions to ensure the UK’s economic stability and to provide confidence in the Government’s commitment to fiscal discipline. The Chancellor made clear in his statement that the UK’s public finances must be on a sustainable path into the medium term.

Introducing VAT-free shopping would come at a significant fiscal cost as it would subsidise a large amount of tourist spending which already occurs without a tax relief in place.

The independent Office of Budget Responsibility published their assessment of the withdrawal of the previous VAT-free shopping schemes in November 2020. This showed that the withdrawal of VAT-free shopping would raise a significant amount of revenue and have a limited behavioural effect on decisions to visit, or spend, in the UK.


Written Question
Exports: VAT
Wednesday 16th November 2022

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how his Department estimated the annual cost of extending the VAT Retail Export Scheme to EU visitors in September 2020.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Chancellor announced on 17 October 2022 that the Government will not be proceeding with plans to introduce a new VAT-free shopping scheme. This decision was included as part of the reversal of almost all of the tax measures set out in the Growth Plan on 23 September which have not been legislated for in Parliament. The Chancellor has taken these decisions to ensure the UK’s economic stability and to provide confidence in the Government’s commitment to fiscal discipline. The Chancellor made clear in his statement that the UK’s public finances must be on a sustainable path into the medium term.

Introducing VAT-free shopping would come at a significant fiscal cost as it would subsidise a large amount of tourist spending which already occurs without a tax relief in place.

The independent Office of Budget Responsibility published their assessment of the withdrawal of the previous VAT-free shopping schemes in November 2020. This showed that the withdrawal of VAT-free shopping would raise a significant amount of revenue and have a limited behavioural effect on decisions to visit, or spend, in the UK.


Written Question
Exports: VAT
Wednesday 16th November 2022

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department made of the annual cost of extending the VAT Retail Export Scheme to EU visitors in September 2020.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Chancellor announced on 17 October 2022 that the Government will not be proceeding with plans to introduce a new VAT-free shopping scheme. This decision was included as part of the reversal of almost all of the tax measures set out in the Growth Plan on 23 September which have not been legislated for in Parliament. The Chancellor has taken these decisions to ensure the UK’s economic stability and to provide confidence in the Government’s commitment to fiscal discipline. The Chancellor made clear in his statement that the UK’s public finances must be on a sustainable path into the medium term.

Introducing VAT-free shopping would come at a significant fiscal cost as it would subsidise a large amount of tourist spending which already occurs without a tax relief in place.

The independent Office of Budget Responsibility published their assessment of the withdrawal of the previous VAT-free shopping schemes in November 2020. This showed that the withdrawal of VAT-free shopping would raise a significant amount of revenue and have a limited behavioural effect on decisions to visit, or spend, in the UK.


Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 24 May 2021
Finance Bill

Speech Link

View all Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Con - The Cotswolds) contributions to the debate on: Finance Bill