What businesses need to know about the temporary 5% VAT rate

This new reduced rate is set to apply to VAT on children's menu meals and family leisure activities.

Under the new ‘Great British Summer Savings’ initiative, VAT on selected family-focused activities will fall from 20% to 5% between 25th June and 1st September 2026.

The temporary reduction is expected to apply to children’s meals in restaurants and cafés, children’s cinema and theatre tickets, and admission to attractions suitable for families with children.

While the VAT cut will be welcomed by businesses, inadvertent errors (such as applying the reduced 5% rate where the standard 20% rate should apply) could result in HMRC pursuing any underpaid VAT.

As this tax cut is only in place for a short period, businesses will need to ensure their systems and processes are updated in time. One of the key challenges will be applying the reduced VAT rate correctly.

More detailed guidance has yet to be released, meaning businesses should start considering how they may be affected. Below is a checklist of key areas to review:

• Review your systems to ensure you can clearly distinguish between child and adult pricing and tickets.
• Review how you market supplies to customers. For example, the reduced rate applies only where meals are clearly presented as children’s meals and are supplied for consumption on the premises. Consider whether your menus or promotional materials clearly identify these as children’s offerings.
• Assess complex supplies, such as bundled packages (e.g. admission and food sold together) or advance bookings that span the change period, to identify potential VAT treatment issues early.

How TaxAssist Accountants can help

For help implementing any of these VAT changes or simply understanding what how the Government's Great British Summer Savings initiative could affect your business, call TaxAssist Accountants on 020 3859 0575 or contact us here. 

Last updated 27 May 2026 | First published 27 May 2026

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Andy Gibbs, ATT, CTA

Andy is a qualified Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA), holds the STEP Advanced Certificate in Trust and Estate Accounting, and has dealt with both tax compliance and tax advisory projects across a range of industry sectors. Andy also manages a highly qualified and experienced team at TaxAssist Accountants, providing technical support and offering practical solutions in relation to the accounting, tax and practice needs of TaxAssist practice owners and their staff.

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