The current exemption from landfill tax for the disposal to landfill of waste from the clean up of contaminated land will be phased out.

RICS Public Policy met with HM Treasury and HMRC on this issue with particular regard to extending the deadline for applications and learnt from Government officials that 30 November 2008 is an absolute deadline for new applications for exemption certificates.

Although this has been communicated to all waste management companies many small property developers and house builders may not be aware of the imminent deadline.

The policy intention of the tight deadline was intended to be restrictive.

HMRC and HMT only want well-developed projects to be able to benefit from the exemption, the final date for qualifying disposal is 31 March 2012 provided that you have an exemption certificate.

Applicants do not have to submit full supporting info with their applications (e.g. survey reports) but HMRC will require these within a relatively short period of time and they will reject applications where info is not received by the date they set.

RICS contact
Nadia Nath-Varma
E NNathVarma@rics.org

For more information please see the HMRC website.