Skip to content Print VAT checker / Printing for a christmas Is there VAT on christmas printing? Some of it. It depends on the item, not the occasion, so one job can have both rates on the same invoice.
PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL TAXMAN ? Ho ho ho. Most of this is mine.
Printing for a christmas
Some 0%, some 20%
Here's the usual print for a christmas. Tap any item to see why it's 0% or 20%.
Greetings cards are standard-rated.
Calendars are standard-rated. They're used, not just read.
HMRC treats table menu cards as standard-rated, but a takeaway menu posted through doors is a leaflet.
Anything that gets you in, gets you money off or has a value of its own is standard-rated.
Packaging and wrapping aren't reading matter, so they're standard-rated.
HMRC lists stickers, labels and tags as standard-rated.
Sweets and chocolate count as confectionery, which is standard-rated. (Cakes and most biscuits are 0%, but biscuits coated or part-coated in chocolate are 20%.)
Leaflets are zero-rated. A sheet you pick up, read and bin (or one that comes with a product) is exactly what the zero rate is for.
Anything made to go on a wall or be displayed is standard-rated. The zero rate is for things you hold and read.
Why this exists Some print is 0% VAT, some is 20%, and the rules are about what a thing is , not what you call it. Search using the words you use for your print job.
How we check the guidance Every answer names the HMRC paragraph it rests on, with a link. We check HMRC's guidance for changes every day. If it changes, a notice goes up on every page until the answers have been reviewed.
We are printers based in Nottingham and London. We work with the NHS, NCHA, LUNA Students, DHP Family and Urban Outfitters. Get a quote .
Checked against HMRC's guidance on 22 September 2026. HMRC last changed its print VAT rules on 31 July 2020.
Guidance only, not tax advice. Based on HMRC VAT Notices 701/10, 701/14 and 701/58. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. If the exact liability matters, check with HMRC or your accountant. Privacy