Relief for churches and mosques

A small piece of good news for religious organisations: until now people could claim a VAT rebate if they made "alterations" to a listed building, but not if they were contributing to the upkeep of a structure.

The Treasury has now closed that loophole, but it has allowed some listed places of worship to knock off VAT in the right circumstances. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is looking into expanding its list of places of worship to clarify which buildings qualify.