On December 14, 2023, in a written statement, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury published HMRC's summary of responses to its technical consultation on the VAT treatment of fund management services. This is mainly of interest for DC schemes.
Currently, fund management services can be VAT exempt either by falling within the fund types that enjoy statutory exemptions, or because they are regarded as "special investment funds" under EU VAT law. SIFs were largely left to individual member states to define. The consultation set out proposals for SIF codification to remove the uncertainty that had arisen following years of EU case law.
Having considered the consultation responses, the Government has decided not to proceed with the SIF codification, and to retain the current rules. This means that the above two ways in which fund management services can be VAT exempt will continue.
HMRC will update its relevant guidance in due course.
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