Readers’ forum: Bottoms up

I act for a VAT registered sports club which is having a fundraising dinner in the clubhouse to raise money for a new lawnmower. I understand that the ticket sales advertising income and auction items will be exempt from VAT (the club is non-profit making) but my dilemma relates to the bar sales.

Would all of the bar takings for that night be exempt from VAT as well and how would this affect the input tax claimed on bar purchases? For example we would not be sure if say a barrel of beer purchased from the brewery was consumed wholly or partly on the night of the dinner or whether perhaps some of it was or even none of it. The bar is open every night of the week so are the takings excluded from the fundraising exemption anyway – as...