Readers’ forum: Is there VAT on essential fire safety equipment?

Following the disastrous Grenfell fire the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is not surprisingly insisting on flat entry doors being fully fire compliant with the latest legislation and moreover requiring a fire certificate to demonstrate their compliance. Such doors seemingly cost in the region of £2 000 being standard VAT inclusive.

I am surprised that this essential fire safety equipment is incurring a standard VAT flat rate of 20% and would be grateful if readers would confirm whether this is correct.

Query 19 960 – Puzzled.

HMRC could be persuaded to grant VAT relief for entry doors.

There are numerous situations where it seems incredible that VAT is chargeable but unfortunately this is a frequent outcome resulting from the way the VAT law works. Basically everything is liable to 20% VAT unless you can find a relief to cover the supply being made. A ‘guilty...