Petition · past parliament
Reverse the decision to increase flat rate VAT to 16.5%
Closed
782 signatures
What the petition asks
The Chancellor announced in his Autumn statement flat rate VAT will increase to 16.5% from April 2017. This means for a business such as my own there will typically be an additional 4.5% per year tax on gross turnover. The increase is not justified placing an additional tax only on small businesses.
The flat rate VAT scheme was introduced to help small businesses simplify VAT reporting by reducing the need to complete a full VAT return and in turn help HMRC by reducing their workload checking full VAT returns.
The proposed change will mean that many businesses will withdraw from the flat rate scheme placing a new and increased burden on HMRC in receiving and managing their full VAT returns. Sadly some small businesses will not survive the imposition of the new tax charge.
The proposed change will mean that many businesses will withdraw from the flat rate scheme placing a new and increased burden on HMRC in receiving and managing their full VAT returns. Sadly some small businesses will not survive the imposition of the new tax charge.
Timeline
| 16 Jan 2017 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 2 May 2017 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
782
Status
Closed
Opened
16 Jan 2017
Closed
2 May 2017
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.