If you are a resident of the UK and you are dealing with a disability, in general people pay VAT on the purchasing of goods they need for regular use. However, there is a limited range of products on which you can claim relief from VAT. There are limited services in the UK as well that will offer relief on VAT for disabled people. However, before you aim to claim VAT relief for disabled people, you must have the awareness of getting in touch with HMRC, handling the case of paying too much VAT, getting the qualifying criteria of VAT-free goods, what are the limited products and services that will come under the VAT free options for disabled people, and how the claim of VAT relief will work for you.

This comprehensive guide will help to gather information regarding the basic facts of getting eligible for the claim of the advantages of VAT-free goods and services. Let us kick start the discussion to get more awareness of how to maximise your benefits in this regard.

Talk to our best accountants and bookkeepers in the UK at CruseBurke. You will get instant help about how do I claim vat relief for the disabled whether you are running a small or large business.

How Does VAT Relief Work in the UK?

Generally in the UK, there is no such system that offers a VAT refund or HMRC considered to be generous enough to repay the tax on the items that you are claiming VAT free because of your disability. However, if you are meeting the criteria to meet the standards of disability we will offer you VAT-free products. This is imperative to understand here that the range of these products and services is limited for disabled people. The seller will not charge the VAT if you are a qualified individual who has claimed VAT-free buying certain goods.

Goods You Can Buy VAT-free

As it is discussed earlier in the discussion that there is indeed a range of goods and services that are free of any liability like VAT for the people who are disabled and the residents of the UK. However, there are limited items within the list. These include the following mostly:

• Accessories and parts
• Boats
• Call system and emergency alarms
• Equipment like the computer and laptop
• The goods that belong to the use of disabled people in the UK
• Sanitary devices, lifting equipment, rise and recline chairs, chair and stair lifts, and specialist beds.
• Low vision aids, hearing aids and other such types of equipment.
• Mobility scooters and wheelchairs
• Surgical appliances and the medical related to the disability.

Goods that have been Designed Solely for Disabled People

If you are using goods and services that are specifically for disabled people, you will not have to pay VAT on these products. There is, however, an eligibility criterion for such goods. This involves the following goods:

• Products that are incontinent
• Braille embossers
• Stimulation (TENS) machines and transcutaneous electrical nerve
• The use of wheelchairs
• Hard-of-hearing people and vibrating pillows for deaf
• Whistling cups for blind people and white canes

Do You Qualify for VAT-Free Goods?

If you qualify and be eligible for the goods and services that are designed for disabled people around the UK, you must be seriously disabled or chronically sick. These goods will be for domestic use or for personal use in your day-to-day routine. In this case, you will not have to be registered for the disability. You must not be seeking the advantage of some other support scheme to be eligible for this benefit as well. Otherwise, the standards will not consider you to be qualified for this disability and you will have to be paying VAT on such goods and services.

What HMRC Means by  Chronically Sick or Disabled?

In the case of being called disabled or chronologically sick, there is a certain standard. If you meet any of the following, you will be considered to get VAT-free goods and products in such a case. The following conditions are imperative in this regard.

• The person is proven to be chronically sick for serious treatment. There is a physical or mental illness which will go on for the long term.
• The medical professors are treating the condition as a chronological case of sickness. Which is against a health condition to struggle in the long term.

How to Prove that You Qualify for VAT-Free Goods

In order to prove that you are qualified for the good to be VAT free for your case in the UK, there are certain eligibility declarations. The supplier might require you to provide a statement that mentions that you qualify for the vat free products and services. This could be a simply written decision to offer the proofs to the suppliers. In some cases, the suppliers do give you the forms to fill out and make the requirements standards meet. There is a separate written declaration proof in case of all the suppliers. This will be helpful with the records of VAT.

What to Do If You Think You’ve Paid Too Much VAT?

Once an individual meets all the required points of the criteria, sometimes the charge of VAT is charged in an incorrect way. And this means you have paid a little too extra in the form of VAT. So you will have to bear with it as there is no facility from HMRC that can actually refund you the VAT.

The Bottom Line

Now that you have gathered a fair amount of information regarding How to Claim VAT Relief for the Disabled in the UK, we can bring the discussion towards wrapping up. The relief of VAT is a great advantage for people who are disabled in the UK. Especially when it comes to buying disabled equipment. However, dealing with vendors and suppliers can be quite a struggle in this regard. We hope these few minutes of reading will help you to develop a better understanding of making a claim of VAT-free goods in case of dealing with a disability in present or in the future.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog on vat relief for the disabled, including the text and graphics, in general. It does not intend to disregard any of the professional advice.