VAT Free Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme

Something every parent should know...

you don´t HAVE to pay VAT on your child´s musical instrument!
By not paying the 17.5% VAT, you could be saving hundreds of ££££££´s. Interested?

Read on and find out how AIPS works.

• First, check with your School or Music Centre that they operate the ´Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme´.
• You come into our shop and hand pick your own instrument from a large selection or telephone and reserve an instrument.
• Obtain the necessary form from your School/Music Centre - if they do not have a form you can download a copy of our form from the link below.
• Complete your details on the form and the choice of musical instrument. Please note that the form contains provision for an ´Administrative Charge´ so you will need to check with your School/Music Centre to establish if they make such a charge.
• After completing your details and instrument choice, you need to pass the form along with your payment to the School/Music Centre for them to complete their details and send the form to us as an official order.
• The instrument will then be despatched to the School/Music Centre at no extra charge.
• Finally, you collect your chosen instrument from your School/Music Centre.

The AIPS - Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme - Changes in the 1995 VAT (Education) Order now enable School pupils to purchase musical instruments free of VAT. The procedure for this scheme has been approved by HM Customs & Excise and was reviewed in September 1995 by the VAT Office.

• The student must be in full time education at an LEA School.
• The student must be receiving music tuition at the School/Music Centre.
• The instrument must be appropriate for the student's needs.
• The instrument must be portable.
• The instrument must change hands on Educational premises.

Firstly, many LEA Schools ask if the scheme is really legal.

Secondly, parents of children attending Independent Schools often ask if there is some way in which their children can be eligible for the scheme.

The answers to both issues is yes.

Click here to read an extract from a letter from HM Customs to the Music Industries Association clarifying these issues.

Although the instrument is purchased by the School/Music Centre, Dawkes Music retains all the purchase and serial number details for warrantee purposes.

If you need further information about the Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme please telephone us on 01628 630800 or contact your child´s instrumental teacher at the School/Music Centre.

Many Education Authorities have their own AIPS form and can only use their own AIPS form - so please check with your relevant authority before using the form provided here.

 Click here to download the AIPS form.

The AIPS form has been produced in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to print it. Adobe Acrobat Reader is available free on most computer magazine CDs and on many software CDs. It can also be downloaded from the Adobe web site by clicking on the ´Get Acrobet Reader´ image below.