The UK's mountain rescuers are unpaid
An online petition has been started to urge the Westminster Government to repay to mountain rescue teams the value added tax they have to pay on their gear.
The e-petition on the Government website was posted by Marc Goodwin.
It says: “Currently mountain rescue charities across England (and possibly Wales and Scotland) have to pay VAT on the expensive equipment which they need to save people’s lives.
“This VAT should be reimbursed.”
At the time of writing, the petition had attracted more than 1,500 signatures. This is some way short of the 100,000 needed to trigger possible debate by Parliament.
The long-running saga over the UK’s volunteer mountain rescue teams having to use some of their hard-won funds to pay VAT has been a matter for debate for years.
Mountain Rescue England and Wales, the umbrella body for teams south of the border, pressured the previous government’s Treasury officials and ministers without success.
Two years ago, the coalition Government announced it was giving £200,000 to rescue teams, to be shared among the 75 teams in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This grant has been repeated in subsequent years.
The Scottish Government also funds teams in its nation to the tune of more than £300,000 a year.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution, which is run on similar volunteer lines to mountain rescue teams, is exempt from paying VAT.
The petition can be found on the Government website.
Marion
26 August 2013Can we have a link, so that we can add our names to the petition?
Bob
26 August 2013Done.
Bob Smith
Editor
Tony
26 August 2013Done
Adam Geens
29 August 2013Can this be extended to Cave Rescue as well?
M Mc Cabe
30 August 2013Yes they should be exempt from Vat as they carry out a great service for all of the people that walk and climb the hills etc.
Harold Newman
02 September 2013Mountain Rescue and Cave rescue teans should be exempt from VAT on all thier outgoings for the equipment which are virtually their tools of the trade.
W.G.Simmons
02 September 2013I agree they should be exempt from VAT. It is the least we can do to express our gratitude for the great work they do. Come on Westminster give these people a break and show them we value their wonderful dedication, often at some risk to themselves.
Nick Brown
03 September 2013Come on Cameron, the money you saved last week you can afford it!
Dave Pritchard
10 September 2013There are some very dubious charities that attract VAT exemption. often operating within the 'commercial' sector (Housing Associations etc.) If they can attract VAT exemption, why not Mountain Rescue?