Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to introduce a zero rating of VAT for audiobooks.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
An extension of the zero rate of VAT was introduced in May 2020 to provide consistency in approach between certain physical and digital publications. Audiobooks are already taxed consistently at the standard rate in both physical and digital format.
Providing VAT relief for audiobooks would have a fiscal cost and should be viewed in the context of over £50 billion of other requests for relief from VAT that the Government has received since the EU referendum.
Although the Government keeps all taxes under review, there are no plans to change the rate of VAT on audiobooks.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits for equality for people who are visually impaired of removing of VAT on audiobooks.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
An extension of the zero rate of VAT was introduced in May 2020 to provide consistency in approach between certain physical and digital publications. Audiobooks are already taxed consistently at the standard rate in both physical and digital format.
Providing VAT relief for audiobooks would have a fiscal cost and should be viewed in the context of over £50 billion of other requests for relief from VAT that the Government has received since the EU referendum.
Although the Government keeps all taxes under review, there are no plans to change the rate of VAT on audiobooks.
Oral Evidence Dec. 12 2023
Committee: Culture, Media and Sport Committee (Department: Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport)Found: the subscription service —which has more music than ever, and additional services, whether that is audiobooks
Oral Evidence Dec. 12 2023
Committee: Culture, Media and Sport Committee (Department: Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport)Found: the subscription service —which has more music than ever, and additional services, whether that is audiobooks
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will introduce a zero rating of VAT for all audiobooks.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
At March Budget 2020 the Government announced the introduction of a zero rate of VAT on certain e-publications (including e-books) to support literacy and reading in all its forms and make it clear that e-books, e-newspapers, e-magazines, and academic e-journals are entitled to the same VAT treatment as their physical counterparts.
The extension of the zero rate of VAT to e-publications was introduced to provide consistency of approach between certain physical and digital publications. Audiobooks are already taxed consistently at the standard rate in both physical and digital formats.
The Government keeps all taxes under review, including VAT, but there are no current plans to extend the VAT zero rate to audiobooks.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to remove VAT on audiobooks to bring tax policy in line with the zero VAT rate on physical and ebooks.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
At March Budget 2020, the Government announced the introduction of a zero rate of VAT on certain e-publications, including e-books, to support literacy and reading in all its forms and make it clear that e-books, e-newspapers, e-magazines, and academic e-journals are entitled to the same VAT treatment as their physical counterparts.
The extension of the zero rate of VAT to e-publications was introduced to provide consistency of approach between certain physical and digital publications, to support reading and literacy in all its forms. Audiobooks are already taxed consistently at the standard rate in both physical and digital formats.
The Government keeps all taxes under review, including VAT, but there are no current plans to extend the VAT zero rate to audiobooks.
Jun. 21 2023
Source Page: Creative industries sector vision: A joint plan to drive growth, build talent and develop skills. 60p.Found: Statista, Etsy Thrives Amid Pandemic – And It’s Not Just Masks (2020); Nielsen, Prime Time for Audiobooks
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing VAT on the sale of ebooks and audiobooks.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
At March Budget 2020, the Government announced the introduction of a zero rate of VAT on certain e-publications, including e-books, to support literacy and reading in all its forms and make it clear that e-books, e-newspapers, e-magazines, and academic e-journals are entitled to the same VAT treatment as their physical counterparts.
The extension of the zero rate of VAT to e-publications was introduced to provide consistency of approach between certain physical and digital publications, to support reading and literacy in all its forms. Audiobooks are already taxed consistently at the standard rate in both physical and digital formats.
In UK law, a book is deemed to be something that is read or looked at, a definition that does not include audio content in either digital or physical form.
The Government keeps all taxes under review, including VAT, but there are no current plans to extend the VAT zero rate to audiobooks.
Jun. 14 2023
Source Page: Creative industries sector visionFound: Statista, Etsy Thrives Amid Pandemic – And It’s Not Just Masks (2020); Nielsen, Prime Time for Audiobooks
Report Jan. 17 2023
Inquiry: A creative futureFound: extras can now be computer generated, for example.94 In January 2023, Apple announced a catalogue of audiobooks