Government must remove VAT from testing to get Britain flying again
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Future of Aviation have today repeated its calls for VAT to be removed from all forms of testing for international travel.
Commenting Henry Smith MP, Chair of APPG for the Future of Aviation said
“As the rest of Europe begins to open with less burdensome and expensive restrictions than the UK, we run the very real risk the UK will be left behind with our aviation industries held back by our overly cautious approach including PCR testing for low risk nations.
“We risk not only being held back by a limited green list but by the sky-high cost of testing which risks becoming a major disincentive to travel. It makes no sense at all to charge VAT on testing for international travel which only increases the costs for passengers and places UK aviation at a competitive disadvantage to other European nations.
“Frankly, some of these tests remain a rip-off.There is much more that the Government must do to support our aviation, travel and tourism industries and this must include the immediate removal of VAT on all testing work urgently towards exempting vaccinated passengers from onerous restrictions in order to get Britain flying again.”