Its going to get MUCH better under the tories.

[AtW]

That's partly true but there's no getting away from the fact it was Labour that lowered VAT and the Tories who put it up.

Labour lowered it TEMPORARILY and caused a lot of costly problems for sellers - this also cost £13 bln to the Treasury and did exactly fook all to stimulate economy.

[AtW]

FFS, I go away for short holiday and miss out on some quality tax discussion

[RichardCranium]

Hang on a minute, vat is up by 2.5 points. Why are things going up by much more than this?

Because it is a good excuse to hide price increases. Look at how many people use those machines in the supermarket to count their saved up pennies: those machines take something like 9%. Joe and Jo Public are far too thick to count their pennies for themselves; they certainly cannot do %ages in their heads when shopping.

Just think of it is another Idiot Tax.

So far noticed the following going up by much more than this.

Train fares

Normal. Happens every year.

Gym Memberships

Walking is still free.

Food

That'll be the cost of the oil. And the demand for biofuel. Try buying locally-sourced, in-season fruit & veg. Also, compared to many supermarkets, some of those fruit & veg box schemes are not that expensive.

Petrol

Not just related to VAT; petrol has its own duty + the oil companies need to make a profit somehow. The poor lambs. Especially since they keep pissing their oil into the oceans and then having to pay compensation to the Merkins for polluting Mexican beaches.

I thought we were all in this together?

Oh, you are funny.

Pay restraint is being encouraged but many large organisations are using this VAT increase as an excuse to raise prices.

Yep.

The Government should step in now and chastise those not in this with the rest of us.

Oh, stoppitt! You're making my sides hurt!

VAT change will be used to hide 8pc price rise - Telegraph

Just bend over, drop your kecks and take your punishment like a good citizen.

And remember not to complain when the MPs give themselves another pay rise and, yet again, allow themselves expenses no-one else in the UK can claim.

[RichardCranium]

FFS, I go away for short holiday and miss out on some quality tax discussion

You've not been on a short cruise to Amsterdam by any chance...?

[AtW]

Train fares
Gym Memberships
Food
Petrol

Train fares go up because Govt wants to reduce amount of subsidy it provides.

Gym Memberships are up because people cut down on those so remaining members have to make up the difference.

Food goes up because wheat etc are up in world markets (thanks to money printing and general dirty spekulation)

Petrol is up due to VAT, extra duty and also price is pretty effing high - $90+, which is due to money printing and spekulation.

The only thing that does not go up is BagPiss - the only deflation is in Nu Liebor supporters, pity there is no special tax on those

[AtW]

You've not been on a short cruise to Amsterdam by any chance...?

No, I was travelling back from Moscow...