BRAMSHOTT and Liphook Parish Council has registered for VAT with effect from July 1.

It means the council is required to charge VAT on sales covering film tickets, bar income and ice cream, sale of logs for fuel, insurance repayments and the LMC Maintenance Fund.

As a public body, the council is already able to reclaim VAT on most non-business purchases. But following a recent meeting, the Millennium Centre management committee agreed cinema tickets would not be increased to reflect the VAT charge until January.

The finance and policy committee agreed at its meeting on September 16, to follow the advice from DCK Beavers, which produce the annual “partial exemption” calculation, to exercise the option to tax on the hire and letting of the Millennium Centre. 

This will be effective from next April, and will require VAT to be included in hire and lettings charges.

Parish council executive officer Peter Stanley told The Herald: “The parish council will be considering the impact of this on future charges but it does not mean that it will increase for all users of the building.

“Most business users will be able to reclaim their VAT and the parish council will be mindful of the needs of community users.

“The ‘partial exemption’ arrangement restricted the amount the parish council could spend on the Millennium Centre, and this decision will allow the council to commence some of the much needed repair and improvement to the building.”