VAT on groceries

[Mobile Chicane]

Strange how this is applied.

From today's shop (I've been stocking up for a potential cold snap):

0% VAT
Frozen peas, canned fish, canned corned beef, rice crackers, instant noodles, canned baked beans, vac-packed pitta bread, filter coffee, various spices, rice.

20% VAT
Vodka (understandably), but UHT fruit juice? Bog roll? Shampoo? WTF?

[Plotloss]

Perishable goods are zero rated.

Confection is, cakes aren't.

Etc.

[GWC]

You can't eat bog roll or shampoo.

[Cheese Mechanic]

UHT Fruit juice? I would never have guessed that was Vattable.

Bizarre, I always have a carton of UHT milk in the house (in case of emergency) I wonder if there is VAT on that?

[Mobile Chicane]

Weird. The perishable/non-perishable distinction seems arbitrary.

Vodka will (clearly) never go 'off', but spices? Canned meat / fish? Why do these have 'best before' dates on then?

[Rollcage]

Some wines now have Best Before dates these days!


The VAT stuff is covered here

Edited by Rollcage on Wednesday 11th January 20:56

[21TonyK]

Without digging though HMRC's website or paper work it boils down to luxury or processed goods. Sort of explains the UHT fruit juice, ie. it's not a basic commodity and therefore a luxury.

/see above (beaten too it)

[UK300]

No vat on fruit but smash it up and turn it into this


add 20% vat.

[Mobile Chicane]

Really odd how the distinctions are applied: the LIDL equivalent of Walker's 'Taste Sensations' crisps are liable for VAT, but yet their pretzels and Japanese rice crackers aren't.

Just as well, since I prefer pretzels and Japanese rice crackers

[calibrax]

Its all a bit weird. Coffee is zero-rated. Coke isn't. Very odd.

[anonymous-user]

21TonyK said:

Without digging though HMRC's website or paper work it boils down to luxury or processed goods. Sort of explains the UHT fruit juice, ie. it's not a basic commodity and therefore a luxury.

GWC said:

You can't eat bog roll or shampoo.

It really is taking the p*ss getting taxed after a dump i don't really see Bog roll (or sanitary pads, taxed etc) as luxuries, more like necessities unless bidet's are installed everywhere as an alternative, i don't fancy walking around with soggy balls though , i wonder if you could 'flip' them into the airblade .

Would that be tax avoidance or evasion ?

[21TonyK]

speedyguy said:

It really is taking the p*ss getting taxed after a dump i don't really see Bog roll (or sanitary pads, taxed etc) as luxuries, more like necessities unless bidet's are installed everywhere as an alternative, i don't fancy walking around with soggy balls though , i wonder if you could 'flip' them into the airblade .

Would that be tax avoidance or evasion ?

In an air blade?, it's with or

I suspect the latter is taxable if declared

/avoidance as we don't know for sure, if however you failed to pay duty on biscuits then that would be evasion

Edited by 21TonyK on Wednesday 11th January 21:24

[Flibble]

calibrax said:

Its all a bit weird. Coffee is zero-rated. Coke isn't. Very odd.

Coffee is an essential foodstuff clearly.