We have learnt from the Professional Standards Authority that their Accredited Voluntary Registers (AVR) team have asked the Department of Health to liaise with HMRC and the Treasury to review VAT exemption for health services provided by AVR practitioners and income tax relief on annual registration fees paid by AVR practitioners.

The AVR team have discussed the possibility of amending the VAT Act to include ‘accredited by a statutory body’ so that tax exemption similar to that of the statutory regulators could be extended to AVRs. DH has now responded, saying that this will not be possible.