British Legislators Reject Charity Exemption From Tax Hike

Britain’s House of Commons on Tuesday voted down a proposal to partially exempt charities from an impending rise in the country’s value-added tax, writes Third Sector Online.

The coalition government’s new budget calls for the tax to increase from 17.5 percent to 20 percent of purchases of most goods and services. A proposed amendment would have kept the rate at 17.5 percent for nonprofit groups’ nonbusiness expenditures, saving charities an estimated $106-million a year.