Assisted instrument purchase scheme - a guide for all UK students, parents and teachers
If you're a student, parent or teacher considering a Rath trombone to buy for a student in the UK, did you know that you may be able to buy this without having to pay VAT?
The Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme (AIPS) was set up to enable students and parents to benefit from the fact that Local Education Authorities and some Music Services in the UK are VAT registered. The AIPS allows your school or music service to buy your trombone from us on your behalf. They can claim back the VAT, leaving you just the net price of the instrument to pay.
Why should I look at AIPS when buying an instrument?
Quite simply, you can save a lot of money buying an instrument from us on the AIPS system. Even if you're looking at a Bb tenor trombone, you'll save at least £250, and even as much as £450 or more on one of our bass trombones. With the current rate of VAT at 17.5% it really does make sense to buy an instrument on AIPS.
How successful is the AIPS?
The short answer is "very". The AIPS is a great way of making a Rath trombone more affordable. Over the time that we've been involved with the AIPS, we've dealt with orders from many students, parents and teachers. In total they've saved many thousands of pounds.
This sounds great. What do I need to do?
The first step is to get in touch with us to arrange a visit to try out the different models and options that we have available. This is by far the best way of sorting out which specification is going to be right for you. You can call on 01484 660555, send an email to info@rathtrombones.com, or use our Contact page.
Once you've done that, you need to speak to the school or music service to talk to them about how they deal with instrument orders with AIPS. You should find the process very straightforward.
When you come to see us we'll try out the various different models and option combinations that are going to be suitable for you. When you're happy with the final specification, we'll give you an order form to pass on to your AIPS contact at your school or music service.
At that point, we'll liase with your school or music service and deal with the rest of the ordering process. We'll get back in touch with once your trombone's ready to make arrangements for you to collect it or have it delivered.
What do I do next?
Contact us to arrange a visit to come to see us to try out our trombones, or call on 01484 660555 to talk about the AIPS and how it works. We'll be happy to discuss the AIPS in more detail with you.
