PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(28 August 2026)

Question Asked

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will consider the potential merits of undertaking a review of the rate of interest paid to businesses on delayed VAT refunds.

Asked by:
Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat)

Answer

Interest rates on unpaid and overpaid tax are set by legislation approved by Parliament. The legislation specifies formulae which set the rates and the formulae link HMRC rates to the prevailing Bank of England base rate.

The harmonised interest regime provides a set of rules that applies to all taxes and duties and ensures that interest is consistently and automatically charged and paid in all cases where amounts are paid late or where amounts have been overpaid.


Answered by:
()

Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.