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The temporary VAT rate on eligible indoor play admissions returned from 5% to 20% on 1 September 2026. The Association of Indoor Play is campaigning for a permanent zero rate from 1 April 2027, but no permanent change has been made. Its petition is nearing 60% of the 10,000 signatures needed to trigger a Government response.
The VAT rate on eligible indoor play admissions returned to 20% on 1 September, after a temporary summer reduction, as the Association of Indoor Play (AIP) campaigns for children’s indoor play to be permanently zero-rated. The group says its parliamentary petition is nearing 60% of the 10,000 signatures required to prompt a Government response; no permanent VAT change has been made.
The temporary reduction was in place from 25 June to 1 September 2026 under the Great British Summer Savings scheme. During that period, VAT on qualifying indoor play admissions fell from the standard 20% rate to 5%. The standard rate now applies again, so families should not expect an automatic reduction in current ticket prices.
AIP’s proposed change would apply a zero rate to general admission for children and accompanying adults at qualifying indoor play facilities. The association is asking for the policy to begin on 1 April 2027. Its petition is nearing 60% of the 10,000-signature threshold for a Government response. Reaching 100,000 signatures means a petition is considered for debate in Parliament, but does not itself guarantee a debate.
AIP estimates the proposed change would have a gross annual cost of about £51 million, while saying the figure remains subject to validation with HMRC. The report gives no Government commitment to the proposal, and the temporary summer rate should not be confused with a permanent policy decision.
What a Zero Rate Could Mean for Families
The campaign is focused on whether changing VAT could reduce the cost of a family activity that is often used for rainy days and children’s exercise. AIP gives an example of a £12 admission including VAT at 20%: if the full VAT saving were passed on, it says the price could fall to £10. That is an illustration, not a promised ticket price or a forecast for every venue.
Venues set their own prices, and any effect for families would depend on whether operators pass on the tax reduction. AIP says its survey of operators found that 84% of respondents reduced prices in some form during the temporary cut, while 67% said they passed on all or part of the admission saving. The figures describe survey responses, not every indoor play centre.
AIP argues that lower admission costs could widen access to places where children can be active and socialise when outdoor play is impractical. A review it commissioned also pointed to potential developmental benefits, including physical activity, problem-solving, managing risk and social development. Those points form part of the campaign’s case; they do not establish that a VAT change would automatically make play affordable for all families.
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From Summer Relief to a Permanent Bid
The temporary reduction was part of the Great British Summer Savings scheme, running for just over two months. The rate for eligible admissions was cut from 20% to 5%, then returned to 20% when the scheme ended on 1 September. The current campaign seeks a different and longer-term measure: a zero rate for qualifying children’s indoor play admissions.
The AIP represents hundreds of indoor play centres, according to the report. It commissioned child development specialist Dr Amanda Gummer and FUNdamentally Children to review existing research on indoor play earlier in 2026. The review is cited by the association as support for the view that play venues can contribute to children’s development.
For operators, the issue combines admission costs with the tax treatment of their services. For families, the immediate change is that the temporary tax reduction has ended. Whether a future policy would lower prices depends both on Government action and on how venues set their charges.
“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
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Prices and Government Response Remain Unsettled
It is not clear whether the Government will consider or adopt AIP’s proposal. The petition’s reported progress toward 10,000 signatures is not the same as a Government decision, and the source material does not provide a response from ministers or HMRC.
Any price effect from a future zero rate is also uncertain. AIP’s £12-to-£10 example assumes the full tax saving is passed on; venues would retain control over their own prices. The proposed £51 million annual cost is an estimate from AIP and remains subject to validation with HMRC.
The available survey figures apply to operators who responded, and the source does not give the survey’s sample size or methodology. They should not be read as evidence that all centres cut admission prices during the summer.
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Petition Thresholds and the 2027 Proposal
AIP is seeking signatures for its parliamentary petition and wants the proposed zero rate to start on 1 April 2027. At 10,000 signatures, the petition system requires a Government response; at 100,000, it is considered for debate in Parliament. Neither threshold makes the tax change automatic.
The next developments to watch are whether the petition reaches either threshold, whether the Government responds, and whether HMRC validates AIP’s cost estimate. Until a permanent measure is announced and takes effect, the standard 20% VAT rate applies to eligible admissions, and admission prices remain decisions for individual venues.
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Key Questions
Has VAT on soft play gone back up?
Yes. The temporary 5% rate on eligible indoor play admissions ended on 1 September 2026, and the standard 20% rate applies again.
What is the Association of Indoor Play asking for?
AIP wants general admission for children and accompanying adults at qualifying indoor play facilities to be permanently zero-rated, from 1 April 2027.
Would zero-rated VAT automatically make tickets cheaper?
No. AIP’s example says a £12 admission could fall to £10 if the full tax saving were passed on, but venues set their own prices. The example is not a guaranteed price reduction.
What happens when the petition reaches 10,000 signatures?
Under the parliamentary petitions system, reaching 10,000 signatures triggers a Government response. At 100,000 signatures, a petition is considered for debate in Parliament; neither threshold guarantees the proposed tax change.
Has the Government agreed to the change?
No agreement is reported. The campaign is ongoing, and the proposed permanent zero rate has not been introduced.
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