VAT on Loft insulation - Does anybody understand it?

Immensely_Saddened

I need to upgrade my loft insulation and board it. The boarding currently in the loft will need lifting and risers added to the joists (to accommodate the 170mm increase in height of the insulation) before re-boarding (The loft is essential storage space for me). I obtained two quotes.

One quote states that I get the insulation VAT free but std VAT on everything else and one states std VAT on the whole job, which is it? I even tried to read the gobble-de-gook on HMRC website about it...yep, none the wiser. Except the bit that if I bought the insulation myself I would have to pay the VAT in the DIY store

Who can afford to waste £100 of VAT when you don't need to?
To be honest it puts me off doing it at all does anyone know the answer?

PennineAcute

Although you have posted in the wrong section, a quick Google shows that the insulation (for the next 5 years) should be VAT free.  5% thereafter.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-the-vat-treatment-of-the-installation-of-energy-saving-materials-in-in-great-britain/the-value-added-tax-installation-of-energy-saving-materials-order-2022

secret-stu

If you get a company in to do the job they will not charge the VAT on it but if you do it yourself you still pay 20%  on the purchase of the insulation ,its a joke TBH .

Immensely_Saddened

PennineAcute said:

Although you have posted in the wrong section, a quick Google shows that the insulation (for the next 5 years) should be VAT free.  5% thereafter.

Thank you PennineAcute, I checked your link and agree with you. (when I googled I got the standard Gov.uk piece and not the updated version) I forwarded the link to the loft installers and they gave me £80 off the original quote