VAT painting

The House of Representatives wanted to stimulate the construction sector and for this purpose reduced the VAT rate from 21% to 9% on renovation work. Unfortunately, for many sectors the 21% VAT rate already applies again, but fortunately for you, the 9% VAT rate is still in force for painting work.

Take advantage of this, read more here to find out whether this also applies to your painting project and how many euros you can save as a result.

The cost of painting work

Because of the low 9% VAT rate, you will save a lot of money during your painting project. Think about maintenance of your mid-terrace house. The guide price of exterior painting on an average mid-terrace are £1,500 with the 9% rate. If the 21% rate would apply here, you end up with an average of £ 1,700. So you save £200 and you don’t have to do anything for it. The cost summary below shows the costs of a painter including VAT.

Want more price information on the cost of VAT painting? Then read the article: Cost of paintwork.

Why reduced VAT rate for paintwork?

Initially, the intention was to use the VAT 9% rate to support the construction industry. This was mainly done for renovation work. After a while, it was decided by the Lower House to abolish the VAT rate again but this did not go through. So the 9% rate and the 21% rate still apply.

Who does the VAT rate apply to?
The 9% VAT rate applies to almost everyone. One condition is that painting a property that is older than 2 years falls under the 9% rate. A property that is newer must pay the 21% rate. This applies to both rental and owner-occupied properties.

• Work that is further away from painting definitely has the 21% rate. These are the following work:
• dehumidifying the basement,
• sanding and varnishing parquet floors,
• replacing windows, doors and window frames,
• beton repair,
• repairing the substrate,
• sealing building elements.

VAT painting tips

As a tip, we’d like to give you the opportunity to check which work is entitled to that 9% VAT. In this way, you can save a lot of money.

The activities that belong to the 9% VAT rate are:

• preparing the painting work,
• inside and outside painting,
• labour and materials,
• preparation of the painting work.

Also, we give an extra tip to check carefully whether the company does use the 9% VAT rate. Some companies do not charge it. So check carefully. Many companies do not think the rate is that important and other companies want to help save money.

The advantages of the low VAT rate for painting

A low VAT rate sounds good to your ears. Therefore, below are some benefits described about the low VAT rate.

1. The 9% VAT rate is not only going to reduce the cost of painting. There is also a possibility of hiring an architect working with the 9% VAT rate. The architect works with this VAT when they supervise the renovation. The rate is applied to designing and producing construction drawings. It is therefore an extra advantage when you want to carry out a large project.
2. Another advantage is when you find the cost of exterior painting just a little too expensive and you are entitled to the 9% VAT rate. You quickly save up to £200. For example, if you live in a terraced house and you want to have the exterior painted, you will spend an average of £1,500 with the 9% VAT rate and £1,700 with the 21% VAT rate. Is the choice already easier to make?

You often automatically benefit from several advantages. Would you like more information on painting. Then read the article: Costs painter.