ECJ decides that card handling VAT exemption is not a separate service when sold with attendance to an event

29 June 2016

The European Court of Justice has stated that VAT exemption cannot be applied to supplies of financial transaction services, such as 'card handling' and 'payment processing'. This will apply if the transactions are handled by agents selling tickets for events on behalf of principals who are organising the event.

This applies even if the agents are charging separately disclosed fees for these services, as they are still considered ancillary to the charge for attending the event. This decision was taken during the court case Bookit Ltd v HMRC, National Exhibition Centre Limited v HMRC: C-607/14, C-130/15.