Ministers urged to scrap VAT on holiday Covid tests as a family of four would fork out £1,328 to travel to Spain

MINISTERS are under pressure to scrap VAT on holiday Covid tests as it emerged a family of four faces a £1,328 bill to visit Spain.

Travellers have been advised to take an extra PCR before flying home taking the number to four.

At £83 a pop on average, it adds up to a total of £332 a person.

The Treasury is set to pocket £500million in VAT on holiday Covid tests, yet of the 6,977 positive tests since July 1 only 354 were sequenced, figures show.

Campaign group Take A Holiday From VAT has started a petition, calling for an end to the testing “racket”.

Tory MP David Davis said: “The state should shoulder some of the burden of these tests.

“They must be zero-rated for VAT and a limit placed on what people can charge — so we don’t get profiteering.”

Boris Johnson backed the testing measures last night but said he wanted the nation to get back on their hols.

Last night Transport Secretary Grant Shapps was under fire for advising holiday-makers travelling to Spain to take PCR tests but not making it compulsory.

Meanwhile, about 7,000 Brits began a scramble to return from Mexico yesterday after it was put on the red list.