VAT Relief

If you have a disability or long-term illness, you won't pay VAT on products designed or adapted for your personal use, or related services — as long as both the product/service and user qualify for VAT relief.

Products and services that qualify for VAT exemption

Products that are designed or adapted for a disability can be purchased VAT free. This means almost all Opera products can be VAT relieved. Examples include:

Most services related to the purchase of your product also qualify for VAT relief. Anything associated with the setup and maintenance of your Opera product will qualify. These include:

Assembly and installation of the product (Bed or riser recliner chair)
Maintenance and repairs
Spare parts or accessories

Please note: Carriage-only service charges are not eligible for VAT relief.

How to verify whether you are eligible for VAT relief

To get our products VAT free, firstly your disability has to qualify. For VAT purposes, you’re disabled or have a long-term illness if:

You have a physical or mental impairment that affects your ability to carry out everyday activities (e.g. blindness)
You have a named medical condition that is treated as chronic sickness (e.g. multiple sclerosis, diabetes)
You’re terminally ill

You do not qualify if you’re elderly but able-bodied, or if you’re temporarily disabled (e.g. broken limb). Also, you are only eligible for VAT relief if the products you are purchasing are for personal use. For example, if you have arthritis and are purchasing a riser recliner chair for yourself, you would be eligible for VAT relief, but you would not be eligible if you were buying the chair for someone else to use.

Care homes, home care agencies, or trade organisations using products for business use are not eligible and pay VAT in full.

Example conditions that qualify

Any recognised or named long-term medical condition qualifies for VAT relief. This includes:

Parkinson's
Arthritis
Alzheimer's
Diabetes
Multiple Sclerosis

Example conditions that don't qualify

Whilst most medical conditions qualify, anything that isn't long-term or specifically named will not. This could be:

Broken limbs
Old age (with no medical diagnosis)
Short-term illness
Viruses or infections

Not sure if you qualify?

Call us on 0333 222 8584

How to get VAT relief on your order

When ordering with us, getting products like hospital beds or riser recliner chairs VAT free is really simple. We require written confirmation that you meet the criteria detailed above and also a brief description of your medical condition (e.g. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's). This is a form that is filled out at checkout stage when ordering online, or by email when ordering over the phone.

You pay without VAT and then delivery of goods will take place once the VAT relief form has been completed and approved.

VAT relief for charities

Support and funding charities for the elderly and disabled can purchase our products such as hospital beds or riser recliner chairs VAT free. You will be required to prove your eligibility in writing by completing a form which will also require your charity number.