Soft Play Prices Are Back Up After The Summer VAT Cut, Now A Campaign Wants The Tax Scrapped For Good

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The temporary VAT rate on eligible indoor play admissions ended on 1 September 2026, restoring the standard 20% rate. The Association of Indoor Play is campaigning for a permanent zero rate from April 2027; its petition is nearing the 10,000 signatures needed for a Government response.

The temporary VAT cut on eligible indoor play admissions ended on 1 September 2026, returning the rate to 20%, while the Association of Indoor Play (AIP) campaigns to have the tax removed permanently. Its Parliamentary petition is nearing the 10,000 signatures needed to prompt a Government response, but there is no permanent change in place.

Under the Great British Summer Savings scheme, VAT on eligible indoor play admissions was reduced from 20% to 5% between 25 June and 1 September 2026. The standard rate now applies again. The temporary reduction covered qualifying admissions; it did not set prices across all soft play venues.

AIP says a £12 admission charged at the standard rate could cost £10 if VAT were removed and the full saving passed on. That is an illustration, not a guaranteed price: venues set their own prices, and the proposal applies to qualifying admissions. AIP reports that 84% of venues responding to its survey reduced prices in some form during the summer, while 67% said they passed on all or part of the admission saving.

The association is calling for general admission for children and accompanying adults at qualifying indoor play facilities to be zero-rated from 1 April 2027. It estimates the change would have a gross annual cost of about £51 million, a figure it says remains subject to validation with HMRC.

What a Permanent VAT Cut Could Change

If adopted, zero-rating could lower the tax included in admission prices, but the effect on families would depend on how each operator set its prices and whether it passed on the saving. The summer survey offers AIP’s account of how venues responded to the temporary cut; it does not establish that every family saw a lower ticket price.

The proposal also concerns more than household costs in the campaign’s case. AIP argues that cheaper admission could widen children’s access to places for activity and socialising, including when outdoor play is impractical. Those are campaign arguments, not a Government assessment of the proposal.

The Summer VAT Trial

The 5% rate was temporary and formed part of the Great British Summer Savings scheme. With that period over, the usual 20% rate applies again to eligible admissions. The temporary measure did not automatically determine what venues charge now.

AIP says it commissioned child development specialist Dr Amanda Gummer and FUNdamentally Children to review research on indoor play earlier in 2026. The review found that indoor play venues can support physical activity and skills such as problem-solving, managing risk and social development. AIP uses those findings to support its campaign for permanent tax relief.

“This summer’s VAT reduction gave indoor play venues the opportunity to offer families better value, and our survey shows that many responding operators did exactly that.”

— Maria Cantarella, chief executive of the Association of Indoor Play

Price Effects Remain Venue-Dependent

It is not yet clear whether the Government will support AIP’s proposal or what decision-making timetable might follow. The petition has not yet reached the 10,000-signature threshold for a Government response, and reaching that number would prompt a response rather than guarantee a tax change.

The campaign’s estimated £51 million annual cost has not been validated with HMRC, according to AIP. The association’s survey figures describe responding venues; the source report does not provide the survey’s sample size or establish how representative those responses are. Any eventual effect on individual admission prices would also depend on venue pricing decisions.

Petition and Proposed Start Date

AIP is seeking signatures for its Parliamentary petition. At 10,000 signatures, the Government is required to respond under the petitions system; petitions reaching 100,000 signatures are considered for debate in Parliament. Neither threshold by itself changes the VAT rate.

The association proposes that zero-rating begin on 1 April 2027. Until the Government makes a permanent change, the standard 20% rate applies to eligible indoor play admissions and families should not expect an automatic price reduction.

Key Questions

What is the current VAT rate on eligible indoor play admissions?

The temporary 5% rate ended on 1 September 2026. The standard 20% rate now applies.

Would zero-rated VAT make a £12 ticket cost £10?

AIP gives that as an example if the full VAT saving on a £12 admission were passed on. It is not a guaranteed price; venues set their own prices.

What does the petition need to achieve?

At 10,000 signatures, it triggers a Government response. At 100,000, it is considered for debate in Parliament. Neither threshold guarantees a change to VAT.

When does AIP want permanent zero-rating to start?

AIP proposes a start date of 1 April 2027. The proposal has not been adopted, and the current rate remains 20% for eligible admissions.

Source: rss