Does my company need to register for VAT providing swimming lessons?

A Limited Company runs a swim school, teaching children. The company’s turnover is close to £85,000. Is the company making exempt supplies of education and therefore does not need to register for VAT? 

Exemption from VAT applies to supplies of education by eligible bodies. These are schools, colleges, universities, some non-profit-making organisations, and providers of tuition in English as a foreign language. There is also an exemption for private tuition. 

 

Private tuition means a sole trader or a partner in a partnership, including members of a limited liability partnership, providing education or training in a subject ordinarily taught in a number of schools or universities; this supply would qualify for exemption. However, tuition carried out by employees, or by tutors brought in to deliver classes, is excluded from the private tuition exemption and these supplies are standard rated. 

 

A qualifying subject would be one that is commonly taught in schools or universities, and not one that is purely recreational. The subject would need to be part of school or university education, and the supply, one of tuition, in the sense of a transfer of knowledge or skill in that subject or activity. A number of subjects have been considered by the VAT tribunals; in particular those involving physical activities. 

 

Swimming lessons are commonly part of school education, so have the potential to be exempt. 

 

Where supplies are made by a limited company these are not covered by the exemption. This is because the individual teacher is not acting independently of an employer (the company). HMRC manual VATEDU40500 confirms that the exemption does not apply to supplies made by a limited company. 

 

So, although the company is teaching a subject that is ordinarily taught in a school or university the tuition is not covered by the exemption as it is supplied by a limited company. The company’s supplies are taxable and when the company reaches the £85,000 threshold it will be required to register for VAT. 

 

Further information can be found in VAT Notice 701/30 Section 6 and HMRC manual VATEDU40000. 

Please do let us know if you have any questions or if you need any further help understanding the guidance – please call us on 01932 564098 or message us here. 

 

This tax Q&A was published in July 2019 – please be aware that the information above may have changed in subsequent months. This note is written for the general interest of our clients and is not a substitute for consulting the relevant legislation or for taking professional advice. 

 

This content was originally produced by Croner Taxwise Limited and is reproduced with their permission.