Article cover image: AXE THE READING TAX: CAMPAIGN UPDATE

AXE THE READING TAX: CAMPAIGN UPDATE

The recent 2020 Budget revealed that VAT on digital publications has been scrapped. We are thrilled to have been part of the successful Axe the Reading Tax campaign and want to thank all ALCS members who signed the petition and helped make this happen.

On 11 March 2020, the Chancellor announced in the Budget that digital publications including ebooks, newspapers, magazines and journals will be VAT exempt from 1 December 2020.

ALCS is proud to have been a supporter of the Axe the Reading Tax campaign. Led by the Publishers Association, it received widespread industry support from organisations like the Society of Authors, the National Literacy Trust and the Royal National Institute of Blind People, as well as individual authors and members of Parliament.

Over the past few months in ALCS News, we have been urging members to sign the campaign’s petition and write to their MP to ask them to act and help put pressure on the Chancellor to deliver this result. A huge thank you to those who took action!