Small Businesses: VAT
Commons · Question 87946 · Tabled 4 Nov 2025 · Treasury · Official record
Answered 14 Nov 2025
Question
Asked by Juliet Campbell
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to exempt small businesses from paying VAT on birthday parties in line with the arrangements that currently exist for local leisure centres.
Answer
Answered by Dan Tomlinson, 14 Nov 2025
VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT is the UK’s third-largest tax, forecast to raise around £180 billion in 2025/26, helping to fund vital public services. Tax breaks reduce th...