Museums and galleries are urged to sign up for a VAT refund to support free entry to the public

Museums and galleries are being urged to apply for VAT refunds to support opening free of charge as part of plans to boost visitor numbers and give more people access to arts and culture.

Any museum and gallery open to the public free of charge for 30 hours a week can apply. It will help organisations boost their finances and open up their collections more regularly.

The VAT Refund Scheme, which has been running since 2001, was last open to new applicants in 2018/19 and is estimated to have refunded up to £1 billion to museums and galleries so far.

See: Museums and galleries urged to sign up for VAT refund to support free entry for the public - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)