Petition · HM Treasury
Make a cappella choirs eligible for the Treasury's Orchestra Tax Relief scheme
Closed
55 signatures
What the petition asks
The Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) is offered to instrumentalist groups on public musical performances. I think the human voice is a versatile instrument capable of conveying emotion, rhythm, melody and harmony yet doesn't apply as a qualifying instrument for OTR, and this unfair definition must change.
A cappella choirs can face the same financial challenges as traditional orchestras do in putting on paid public performances but are disqualified from claiming OTR because of Treasury rules. The opportunity to sing in public performances can promote mental wellbeing whilst also funding the choir's progress, so where is the commonsense in excluding a cappella groups from the ability to claim OTR ?
Timeline
| 1 Oct 2025 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 1 Apr 2026 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
55
Status
Closed
Department
HM Treasury
Opened
1 Oct 2025
Closed
1 Apr 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 18 Aug 2026.