VAT Relief

thebullsback

Hi all, interested in thoughts on this matter.

Due to lifelong health issues including osteoarthritis I have ordered a new King size mattress that due to my property layout has to be Zipped Linked to get it in for which there is an additional charge as its classed as Bespoke.

The cost of the mattress £499 ex vat …..£599 inc vat

Cost of Zip Link £145 ex vat …£175 inc vat

Delivery is £30

I have applied for and been granted vat relief of £99 which obviously does not include vat relief on the extra zip link work.

I think it should .

Any thoughts about this ?

teaselMay

The zipped bit is because of your property layout and not your disability. Unless it's a specialist hospital type mattress you're lucky to get VAT relief on it at all.

Every mattress I've bought in the past decade has been vacuum packed and rolled which would alleviate the delivery problem

thebullsback

Thank you for your thoughts .I should have mentioned that my current mattress is in fact a memory foam one and did indeed come rolled and vacuum packed so installation was no problem .

Also I think quiet a few people do not know about the vat relief on certain items for quiet a wide range of health issues which can be viewed on Gov.UK so you don't have to be lucky at all.

p00hsticks

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81986649#Comment_81986649

I was aware of the relief (I've claimed it for a number of items for my mother, including her monthly pendant alarm charge), but am a bit surprised it covers a bed mattress (as opposed to a full hospital style bed) - that doesn't appear to be one of the items mentioned on the gov.uk page. Whiel it may help you with your disability, it doesn't sound as if it is a product primarily designed for diabled people, which seems to be the criteria used.

Get VAT relief on certain goods if you have a disability - GOV.UK

teaselMay

As Poohsticks says, I've also claimed VAT relief for specific disability related items, but although I use it probably twice as much as if I was healthy I wouldn't expect VAT relief on my bed or mattress. Is this a specific pressure relief mattress or similar? They're usually a lot more expensive than that

Albermarle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81986683#Comment_81986683

From that document, this is an important clause.

Your retailer or other supplier is responsible for charging the correct amount of VAT on anything they sell. They should check with the manufacturer that the goods have been designed solely for use by disabled people before agreeing to sell any goods VAT-free.

So although it seems that the mattress in question probably should not have qualified for VAT relief ( although we do not know the exact details to be fair), the retailer has agreed, so the OP is 'lucky'.

I have found due to helping a family member that amongst many suppliers of goods and services that are not specifically 'disability suppliers' , there is widespread ignorance about VAT relief in this area.

For example if you take a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle to the garage, and say any work should be zero rated, most give you a blank look/say it is not possible in their system.