VAT exemption call for air ambulance
Friday, April 6, 2012
8:23 AM
Supporters of the Devon Air Ambulance are campaigning to ensure that the charity is exempt from VAT on fuel.
So far, an online Downing Street petition has garnered 82,610 signatures – if the figure reaches 100,000, then Parliament has to debate the issue.
Supporters say that the RNLI has been exempt from VAT on fuel costs since 1977.
But a similar privilege has not been afforded to the Air Ambulance Service, despite it saving hundreds of lives every year.
Ken Sharpe, who started the campaign, said: “The Air Ambulance Service is forced to meet rising fuel prices year on year including VAT.
“The Air Ambulance Service has saved successive Governments millions and millions of pounds funded by charitable donations given by the general public to run what has proven to be an essential service.
“We call on the Government to have an urgent review of this situation and, in doing so, we call on the Government to return in the form of grants to Air Ambulance Service providers all the future VAT which the Treasury collects from them so that the Air Ambulance Service is in practice exempt from paying VAT in the same way as the RNLI.”
To add your name go to http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29349
1 comments
The Petition has reached the threshold of 100,000 signatures but we need more! Now it has to be allocated time by the Backbench Business committee of the house of commons. Hopefully this will happen soon after the MP's return on 17th April. We need as many signatures as possible before it is debated so please ask your family and friends to sign the petition, this will shoe the strength of feeling that is out there amongst the general public. It would also be good if people contact their PM and ask them to support the petition. I would like to thank all of you that have signed the petition, we need to support these charities today as we never know but may need them tomorrow.
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Ken Sharpe
Friday, April 6, 2012