“HMRC’s view is that the use of the upstairs bar/lounge is an intrinsic supply to the members as part of their golf membership. BGC contend that their membership is a single supply (Notice 701/5 4/3) of exempt sport under the VAT Act Sch 9 Group 10 Item 3 so it cannot be an intrinsic supply. Note 1 under Group 10 states that “Item 3 does not include the supply of any services by an eligible body of residential accommodation, catering or transport.” … This note specifically excludes any service of catering, so the upstairs bar/restaurant cannot be included in the exemption. … The only purpose that the members, visitors and the general public go to the upstairs bar/lounge is to purchase taxable supplies of catering. All the supplies that are made in the first floor bar/lounge are taxable at the standard rate, and it is difficult to imagine that the chairs and table that are used by a customer of the bar, are not directly and immediately related to his/her enjoyment of that standard rated supply. It is also very difficult to imagine how the new curtains, which are part of the recent refurbishment, could possibly be linked to the exempt supply of playing golf. The members also use the upstairs bar/lounge for team meetings, trophy presentations, and the AGM, but these activities are not supplies, be definition, underVAT Act 1994, s5(2)(a) , “Supply in this Act includes all forms of supply, but not anything done otherwise for a consideration.”
“In so far as the goods and services are used for the purposes of the taxed transactions of a taxable person, the taxable person shall be entitled, in the Member State in which he carries out these transactions, to deduct the following from the VAT which he is liable to pay: (a) the VAT due or paid in that Member State in respect of supplies to him of goods or services, carried out or to be carried out by another taxable person;”
“In the case of goods or services used by a taxable person both for transactions in respect of which VAT is deductible pursuant to Articles 168, 169 and 170, and for transactions in respect of which VAT is not deductible, only such proportion of the VAT as is attributable to the former transactions shall be deductible. The deductible proportion shall be determined, in accordance with Articles 174 and 175, for all the transactions carried out by the taxable person.”
“28. Hence, on the authority of BLP and Midland Bank , in applying the “used for” test prescribed by art 17(2) of the Sixth Directive the relevant inquiry is whether there is a “direct and immediate link” between the input cost in question and the supply or supplies in question; alternatively whether the input cost is a “cost component” of that supply or those supplies. [Underline emphasis supplied] It is clear from the judgments of the ECJ in BLP and Midland Bank, as I read them, that there is no material difference between these alternative ways of expressing the basic test.”
“72. By its very nature the BLP test is fact-sensitive, in the sense that its application inevitably requires a qualitative judgment to be made on the basis of the facts (as found or admitted) relating to the transactions in question. …”
“75. I agree with Mr Thomas that the search in the present case is for a fair and reasonable proxy for the ‘use’ of the sports complex in making the exempt and taxable supplies made by the School. However, I also agree with Miss Simor that the physical use of the complex is not necessarily a fair and reasonably proxy for that use. I consider that her use of the phrase ‘economic use’ is a helpful approach to establishing what the search is for.”
“26. Those definitions may be open to the criticism that they conflate two different concepts. Input tax on services may fall within the partial exemption rules, first where it has a direct link, and is therefore attributable, to both taxable and exempt supplies; or, secondly, where it has a direct link to neither , in other words it is “non-attributable”
“Auchterarder Golf Club, which operates a very pleasant well situated course and Clubhouse has provided for its members and guests provision of a Clubhouse which is agreeable situated in a pleasant situation and of good finish and design. It is generous in its provision of space for activities other than golf. In physical dimensions a substantial part of the Clubhouse can reasonably be said to be concerned with taxable supplies of food, drink and other refreshments comprising a large lounge with annexed, open, dining area, kitchen, bar, bar store and bottle store, also toilets corridors and entrances thereto, amounting to over half the floor area of the building. An area called “games room” on the plan produced is in fact part of the lounge/bar area. That part however can and does have other minor uses such as holding an Annual General Meeting for a short part of one day in the year and other occasional Club associated activities such as fund-raising events. There is no area the use of which could be described as wholly taxable other than a visitors changing room and there is only a small area which could be described as wholly exempt i.e. the members changing room for men, the rest is mixed use.”