The zero-rating of goods and services for a disabled person depends in part upon the status of the recipient.
In order to qualify for zero-rating, the eligible person must be 'chronically sick or disabled. The items must not be purchased for the general use of other able bodied persons. Items for use in an institution, or re- are not eligible for zero-rating.
Chronically sick means that you have an illness that is likely to last a long time e.g. arthritis, diabetes, and angina.
Disabled means substantially and permanently handicapped by illness or injury.
You do not have to be registered disabled to claim relief from VAT, but the nature of your illness or disablement must be specified in your declaration.
A frail elderly person who is otherwise able-bodied or any person who is only temporarily disabled or incapacitated, such as with a broken limb does not qualify for VAT relief.
If you are in doubt you should call your local Customs office or call the National Advice Service on 0845 302 02 03.
To claim VAT relief please do as follows:
We are required to retain a copy of your declaration and it may be passed to HM Customs & Excise as evidence of your eligibility. If you are in any doubt whether you qualify for VAT relief, click here here to email our customer services or call us on 0845 643 9492.
Alternatively, you may want to look for more information on the 'direct.gov.uk' website VAT relief on products and services for disabled people which provides further information.
If you would like to place your order by telephone and intend to claim VAT relief, we will only be able to dispatch your order once we have received a signed declaration.
If you have our catalogue the declaration form is enclosed. If you don’t have a catalogue, we will post you a form to complete. If you would like to request a copy of our catalogue, please click here.
We will process your order at the retail price quoted on your order less the VAT element.
You must be sure of your eligibility for VAT relief before completing the declaration. You can order on behalf of another person and complete the form accordingly.
You must be sure of your eligibility for VAT relief before completing the declaration. Section 39.2 of the VAT Act 1983 provides for severe penalties for anyone who makes use of a document which they know to be false for the purposes of obtaining VAT relief.