Cost of plastic surgery to soar in VAT crackdown

The costs of facelifts and breast enlargements are set to rise by 20 per cent after new guidelines for VAT on plastic surgery.

Doctors performing purely cosmetic operations must register for VAT and pass the charge on to patients in a move that will boost public finances. However, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said it was only clarifying existing laws in guidance sent to trade professionals.

Fazel Fatah, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, said yesterday: “The subjective proposals being put forward by HMRC will potentially harm large numbers of patients.

They imply that, by definition, any procedure that corrects appearance rather than function is not a medical need.

“There has been no meaningful discussion with the professional bodies involved.”

Consultant plastic surgeon Douglas McGeorge also criticised the new guidance, saying: “What level of asymmetry or abnormality is required to justify breast surgery?”

An HMRC spokesman said there was “no change in government policy on VAT for cosmetic surgery”.

He added: “It is not charged on surgery [carried out] for medical reasons.”