Reduce the VAT on Heritage property repair, restoration and rebuild costs.
Cut VAT on heritage restoration so that saving historic buildings, like Gracemount Mansion House situated in South Edinburgh, is not more expensive than rebuilding qualifying new properties, which are zero‑rated.
Signatures
43
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 43/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 43/100,000
- 27 MAR 2026Petition opened for signaturesCreated by Lindsay Aitken
Background
Heritage projects face VAT inequality compared to other builds. Restoration is taxed at 20% while qualifying new builds pay 0%, making it far more expensive to save historic buildings. This delays repairs, threatens irreplaceable heritage, and discourages conservation. Reducing VAT would support restoration, cut carbon by reusing existing buildings, boost community regeneration and make restoration financially viable.