SIR – At the risk of appearing to have Mr [Jon] Burgess’s disease – ie, repeating myself interminably – may I clarify once and for all the status of VIVA! (Vegetarian International Voice for Animals).

VIVA! is a charity.It is also a limited company as are most, if not all, charities, because this limits the financial liability of individual trustees.

VIVA! offers a will-writing service, as do many charities in the hope that their supporters, in the process, leave them a legacy, although this is not obligatory.

Any legacy to any charity can be offset against inheritance tax, as any financial advisory service could tell us.

I wish Mr Burgess would desist from his attempts to imply something underhand in VIVA!’s set-up, which entirely complies with charity and tax regulations.

ROBERTA BALFOUR

Malvern

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