The Chancellor, George Osborne, has announced that the government will waive the VAT equivalent on the sales of this year’s X-Factor Christmas Charity single. All proceeds from the sale of the single are going to two charities; Together for Short Lives and Shooting Star Chase Children’s Hospice.
Both charities provide support for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families. The donation will be the equivalent of the sum of the VAT receipts collected on sales of the single by Louisa Johnson, the winner of the reality show.
George Osborne, the Chancellor commented that:
‘I am a great admirer of the tremendous work that these charities do to support children with life-threatening and life-limiting medical conditions, and those who love and care for them. I am very happy to announce that the government will refund all VAT on sales of the single.
I urge people go out and buy it in great numbers this Christmas so that as much money as possible is raised to support the charities’ work. I hope it will help those families who are going through unimaginably difficult times, at a time of year that must be particularly difficult for them.’
The government has previously waived the VAT on previous X-Factor winners as well as for the Save the Children single, Band Aid Ebola single, 2011’s Military Wives Choir single, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake appeal single.