Value Added Tax Act 1994

Changes over time for: Section 33

Alternative versions:

Changes to legislation:

Value Added Tax Act 1994, Section 33 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 26 April 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.

View outstanding changes

Changes and effects yet to be applied to Section 33:

s. 33(3)(f) repealed by 1999 c. 29 Sch. 27 para. 68 Sch. 34 Pt. 7

Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:

Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):

s. 51A repealed by S.I. 2008/1146 art. 5(2)(a) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. The insertion of s. 51A by 1995 c. 4, s. 26(1) never came into force)
Sch. 10 para. 8(2) (3) inserted by 1995 c. 4 s. 26(2) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. S. 26 repealed (1.6.2008) without ever being in force by S.I. 2008/1146, art. 5)

33 Refunds of VAT in certain cases.U.K.

(1)Subject to the following provisions of this section, where—

[F1(a)VAT is chargeable on the supply of goods or services to, or on the importation of goods by, a body to which this section applies, and]

(b)the supplyF2... or importation is not for the purpose of any business carried on by the body,

the Commissioners shall, on a claim made by the body at such time and in such form and manner as the Commissioners may determine, refund to it the amount of the VAT so chargeable.

(2)Where goods or services so supplied to F3... or imported by the body cannot be conveniently distinguished from goods or services supplied to F3... or imported by it for the purpose of a business carried on by it, the amount to be refunded under this section shall be such amount as remains after deducting from the whole of the chargeable on any supply to F4... or importation by the body such proportion thereof as appears to the Commissioners to be attributable to the carrying on of the business; but where—

(a)the VAT so attributable is or includes VAT attributable, in accordance with regulations under section 26, to exempt supplies by the body, and

(b)the VAT attributable to the exempt supplies is in the opinion of the Commissioners an insignificant proportion of the VAT so chargeable,

they may include it in the VAT refunded under this section.

(3)The bodies to which this section applies are—

(a)a local authority [F5and a combined authority established by an order made under section 103(1) of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009];

[F6(aa)a fire and rescue authority under the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, if the authority does not fall within paragraph (a);

(ab)the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service;]

(b)a river purification board established under section 135 of the M1Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, and a water development board within the meaning of section 109 of the M2Water (Scotland) Act 1980;

(c)an internal drainage board;

(d)[F7a passenger transport authority or executive within the meaning of Part II of the M3Transport Act 1968;]

[F7an Integrated Transport Authority, Passenger Transport Authority or Passenger Transport Executive for the purposes of Part 2 of the Transport Act 1968;]

(e)a port health authority within the meaning of the M4Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, F8...;

(f)[F9a police and crime commissioner, the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime and] F10... the Receiver for the Metropolitan Police District;

[F11(fa)the Scottish Police Authority;

(fb)the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Policing Board;]

(g)a development corporation within the meaning of the M5New Towns Act 1981 or the M6New Towns (Scotland) Act 1968, a new town commission within the meaning of the M7New Towns Act (Northern Ireland) 1965 and the Commission for the New Towns;

(h)a general lighthouse authority within the meaning of [F12Part VIII of the M8Merchant Shipping Act 1995];

(i)the British Broadcasting Corporation;

[F13(ia)S4C;]

[F14(j)the appointed news provider referred to in section 280 of the Communications Act 2003; and]

(k)any body specified for the purposes of this section by an order made by the Treasury.

(4)No VAT shall be refunded under this section to a general lighthouse authority which in the opinion of the Commissioners is attributable to activities other than those concerned with the provision, maintenance or management of lights or other navigational aids.

(5)No VAT shall be refunded under this section to [F15an appointed] news provider which in the opinion of the Commissioners is attributable to activities other than the provision of news programmes for broadcasting by holders of regional Channel 3 licences (within the meaning of Part I of the M9Broadcasting Act 1990).

(6)References in this section to VAT chargeable do not include any VAT which, by virtue of any order under section 25(7), is excluded from credit under that section.

Textual Amendments

F1S. 33(1)(a) substituted (31.12.2020) by Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018 (c. 22), s. 57(3), Sch. 8 para. 31(2)(a) (with Sch. 8 para. 99) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2019/105 (as amended by S.I. 2020/1495, regs. 1(2), 21), S.I. 2020/1545, Pt. 4 and 2020 c. 26, Sch. 2 para. 7(7)-(9)); S.I. 2020/1642, reg. 4(b) (with reg. 7)