HMRC announce tax refund for private courses

Hundreds of private member golf clubs are set to get a “substantial” cash boost after HMRC agreed to repay overpaid tax.

Following years of legal discussions, HMRC has agreed to make payments within two months, although the organisation will only pay between a third and a half of what some clubs believe they are owed.

The situation first arose in 2009 when a court ruled that Bridport and West Dorset did not have to pay VAT on green fees collected from non-members.

Since then, more than 1,000 private members’ golf clubs have issued a claim to HMRC.

A 2013 ruling at the Court of Justice of the European Union stated that VAT on green fees had been incorrectly applied, mean that private member clubs were owed thousands of pounds from HMRC.

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