Discussion
Bing o said:
The Daily Mash said:
Boost to recovery as everything becomes much more expensive
BRITAIN was well on the road to economic recovery today after the government made everything less affordable.
With unemployment at its highest since the discovery of machines in 1462, ministers said the best way to tackle it was to make sure no-one could buy things from shops.
Chancellor George Osborne said: "Deficit, Britain, responsibility, angry Chinamen, live within our means, Britain, economics of the madhouse, boom and bust my arse and if you think I'm paying that for an iPod you must be out of your f
king mind."
Meanwhile the boss of Britain's biggest food retailer stressed it was absolutely right that the government had made everything more expensive apart from food.
Tesco chief executive, Sir Terry Leahy, said: "Why would you want to buy a new telly when you can spend hours staring at this gorgeous packet of honey roast ham?
"You could even buy two and then prop them up against each other so that they form a little tent and then make some cowboys from bits of VAT-free cheddar. It's Brokeback Mountain in 3D but without the need for cumbersome spectacles."
Tom Logan, a former consumer from Peterborough, said: "I don't know much about economics, then again neither did John Maynard Keynes but everyone still listened to him for about a thousand years before realising he was full of hot piss.
"So anyway, my theory is, instead of taking more of my money and making things more expensive, let me keep my money so I can spend it in shops and the people who work in the shops can keep getting paid because I've bought stuff from them.
"Meanwhile everyone else probably works in advertising and so they can keep getting paid to sit around Soho producing short films about the things in the shops that are clearly based on the assumption that I'm some kind of ahole.
"And instead of taking a lot from a little, the government can take a little from a lot until such times as we all finally recognise that money is a ludicrous, man-made abstract that causes nothing but anguish and violence."
He added: "Now if you'll excuse me I was actually in the middle of recreating the climactic scene from A Few Good Men using half a banana and some Monster Munch.
"The banana can't handle the truth."
BRITAIN was well on the road to economic recovery today after the government made everything less affordable.
With unemployment at its highest since the discovery of machines in 1462, ministers said the best way to tackle it was to make sure no-one could buy things from shops.
Chancellor George Osborne said: "Deficit, Britain, responsibility, angry Chinamen, live within our means, Britain, economics of the madhouse, boom and bust my arse and if you think I'm paying that for an iPod you must be out of your f
king mind."Meanwhile the boss of Britain's biggest food retailer stressed it was absolutely right that the government had made everything more expensive apart from food.
Tesco chief executive, Sir Terry Leahy, said: "Why would you want to buy a new telly when you can spend hours staring at this gorgeous packet of honey roast ham?
"You could even buy two and then prop them up against each other so that they form a little tent and then make some cowboys from bits of VAT-free cheddar. It's Brokeback Mountain in 3D but without the need for cumbersome spectacles."
Tom Logan, a former consumer from Peterborough, said: "I don't know much about economics, then again neither did John Maynard Keynes but everyone still listened to him for about a thousand years before realising he was full of hot piss.
"So anyway, my theory is, instead of taking more of my money and making things more expensive, let me keep my money so I can spend it in shops and the people who work in the shops can keep getting paid because I've bought stuff from them.
"Meanwhile everyone else probably works in advertising and so they can keep getting paid to sit around Soho producing short films about the things in the shops that are clearly based on the assumption that I'm some kind of a
hole."And instead of taking a lot from a little, the government can take a little from a lot until such times as we all finally recognise that money is a ludicrous, man-made abstract that causes nothing but anguish and violence."
He added: "Now if you'll excuse me I was actually in the middle of recreating the climactic scene from A Few Good Men using half a banana and some Monster Munch.
"The banana can't handle the truth."
. I love the way that most people on there are from Peterborough. Kateg28 said:
Eric Mc said:
cuprabob said:
XitUp said:
How much does he think a vegetable rogan josh with garlic rice will go up by?
you only pay vat if you sit in. It's vat free if it's take awayAll restaurant and café meals are charged at Standard Rate VAT.
When VAT was introduced in 1973, there was a distinction between buying food in a restaurant and buying food to take away. The difference in treatment was abolished in the 1980s.
Nowadays, all meals are charged Standard Rate VAT if bought from a restaurant, café or takeaway. In grocery shops and supermarkets, some food is Zero Rated and some food is Standard Rated. There is a long and extensive list of foodstuffs and their VAT status. VAT on food can be very complicated and has led to some very odd cases - such as the Jaffa Cake case or the Ginsters Case (although it's debateable if Ginsters qualifies as "food").
Edited by Eric Mc on Tuesday 4th January 08:10
I did fill up the car last night as it was nearing empty and I admit I did it last night to beat the VAT but only as there was no queue at all. I would not have bothered to queue. I also went to the supermarket yesterday and it was absolutely rammed, we had to queue to get out of the car park which is just stupid. I have only just twigged from reading this that it might have been the VAT increase. Which wouldn't affect a substantial amount of the purchases. A large part of an hour of my life wasted through stupidity.
A good question at what point is a sausage roll that is a cooked item cold? I could cook a batch of "cold" sausage rolls but due to demand have to start selling them before they have cooled are they hot food? Alternatively I could be selling hot sausage rolls but due to limited demand the hot sausage roll has cooled to room temperature is it now cold? And most importantly how much did the government waste working out a definitive answer to this burning question?
Eric Mc said:
Bing o said:
Eric Mc said:
Standard Rate VAT is charged on "Hot Prepared Food". If the local baker is selling hot pasties, hot sausage roles, hot apple pies etc, they should be charging Standard Rate VAT on those items.
What if they were hot, but have gone cold?The VAT definition of "hot" is "15 degrees C above ambient air temperature".
It's all in the VAT regulations.
In reality, they just look at what the retailer is doing or advertising. If they see a sign outside saying "hot pies" or "hot pasties", they expect the retailer to follow the rules for those sales.
It's all in the VAT regulations.
In reality, they just look at what the retailer is doing or advertising. If they see a sign outside saying "hot pies" or "hot pasties", they expect the retailer to follow the rules for those sales.
Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 5th January 11:35
Eric Mc said:
The VAT definition of "hot" is "15 degrees C above ambient air temperature".
It's all in the VAT regulations.
In reality, they just look at what the retailer is doing or advertising. If they see a sign outside saying "hot pies" or "hot pasties", they expect the retailer to follow the rules for those sales.
Amazing, the VATman is more straightforward than not, for a change! Science has a whole range of 'standard' temperatures from 0 deg C (273k) to 20 deg C and 25 deg C. It's all in the VAT regulations.
In reality, they just look at what the retailer is doing or advertising. If they see a sign outside saying "hot pies" or "hot pasties", they expect the retailer to follow the rules for those sales.
Presumably the same vendor can still sell cold pies and not follow the rules for those they heat up, I seem to remember being asked about hot or cold pastries and after asking what the difference was being told 'temperature and price'.
turbobloke said:
Presumably the same vendor can still sell cold pies and not follow the rules for those they heat up, I seem to remember being asked about hot or cold pastries and after asking what the difference was being told 'temperature and price'.
According to a friend of mine in HMRC, because of the cutbacks, there are far fewer visits now by VAT collection staff so it's easier to evade VAT in cases where detail makes a difference; aned revenue is reduced because books are less often inspected.Aside, surely it doesn't matter if VAT applies to food or not. It applies to fuel and most other aspects of producing the food so it'll have the same inflationary effect, or perhaps just not quite so much.
So what was the deal with the old Gangsters [sic] sausage roll and microwave in service stations? I haven't tried to poison myself with one for many years now but back in the days when I was up and down the M40 like a yoyo I would often stop off to fill up at the Warwick services. If I heated my roll before I paid they would charge me more than if I paid, went over to the microwave, heated it and left?
Fatman2 said:
rs1952 said:
Fatman2 said:
It might make people think twice about cars though as another 2.5% on £30k will be significant.
Even spending £30k it won't make that much difference. I calculate it as an extra £638 and, if you're thinking of spending 30 grand on a car, I doubt you would be put off by it.£30k + 17.5% = £35.25k
£30k + 20.0% = £36.00k
£750, although it's not the first time I've got my math wrong
With 20% vat it becomes 30.638k .. which is £638 more
ie: 30/1.175*1.2-30
Edited by rypt on Wednesday 5th January 12:42
Rude-boy]So what was the deal with the old Gangsters [sic said:
sausage roll and microwave in service stations? I haven't tried to poison myself with one for many years now but back in the days when I was up and down the M40 like a yoyo I would often stop off to fill up at the Warwick services. If I heated my roll before I paid they would charge me more than if I paid, went over to the microwave, heated it and left?
Yes - that was a VAT dodge. They were selling cold food - so it was Zero Rated. If the customer wanted it hot, he put it in the microwave on the customer side of the counter and heated the item himself. That loophole has now been closed. Now, ALL food sold as part of a restaurant, cafe or take-away service is Standard Rated - hot or cold. Confusion can still exist when a normal food shop (such as a bakers) sells hot and cold pies, pasties, suasage rolls etc.Don't forget that there are many, many foodstuffs that are standard rated anyway
Eric Mc said:
Now, ALL food sold as part of a restaurant, cafe or take-away service is Standard Rated - hot or cold.
I am sorry but I disagree. Takeaway shops have to differentiate which item is zero rated and which is standard rated. Cold food (with exceptions) is zero rated, hot food (with exceptions) is standard rated. Bread is a 'hot' food that is exempt as it is classed as staple food (unless you are Marie Antoinette).Can I ask what your background is which is relevant? Are you a Tax inspector or a Take Away owner.
My argument comes from these facts:
We spent most of New Years Day morning calculating the VAT return for his Fish and Chip Shop, need to submit tonight
The Till separates each item out and marks it as zero or standard (one of the tills is only 3 months old)
The HMRC website says so
http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/ch...
See Heading 4.1 - What is the liability of takeaway food and drink
In some ways it would be easier if it was one rate but even with some items zero rated the government earns more out of his shop than he does after a 70 hour week (and that is before Corporation Tax, Income Tax etc)
It didn't make any difference to us when it went down, and it didn't make any difference when it went back up again. Another increase is still not going to make any difference. We generally have a bigger spring or autumn price increase, sometimes both, anyway.
If 2.5% was going to make a difference, we wouldn't be selling to them anyway, as they aren't our demographic.
If 2.5% was going to make a difference, we wouldn't be selling to them anyway, as they aren't our demographic.
No.
I am not. I work somewhere else in another trade completely (which is hated on this form so not sure I want to disclose it even though I am not in the directly hated area of the industry but not sure you lot would appreciate the distinction)
My other half does have a limited company and it runs the fish and chip shop. Am not sure why the surprise though?
I am not. I work somewhere else in another trade completely (which is hated on this form so not sure I want to disclose it even though I am not in the directly hated area of the industry but not sure you lot would appreciate the distinction)
My other half does have a limited company and it runs the fish and chip shop. Am not sure why the surprise though?
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