The Government has announced that VAT collected on sales of the X Factor winner’s charity song will be donated to children’s charities, Together for Short Lives and Shooting Star Chase.

Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said:

Sales from this year’s X Factor charity single will help children with life-limiting diseases and their families. We will donate the VAT paid on the sales, ensuring more people can benefit from this crucial funding. The single goes a huge way in raising awareness of valuable causes and the charities behind them and that’s why the government has supported the X factor Christmas single with donations worth more than £300,000 over the last eight years. From the whole government, we wish everyone in the final the best of luck.

The Government has donated the VAT previously on other charity singles, including the 2016 Jo Cox Foundation single, 2015 Save the Children single, the 2011’s Military Wives Choir single, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake appeal single.

The Department of Health and Social Care will make the donation of the VAT on the government’s behalf.