Vat

[Mailman]

You want to try Denmark: 25%.

What is better they charge it on any import. i.e. buy some books from Amazon UK and they bang another 25% on top.

Now what was that EU ruling that said they weren't allowed to do that?

Depends on where you buy from. They cant charge another tax on top of something you have bought in the EU because tax has already been paid HOWEVER if you buy something from america then its open season for tax collection.

Anyone know how England is getting on with its challenge in the EU on this?

Mailman

[Bovvered]

Theoretically if there were no VAT, the customer would pay his supplier the same amount, the supplier (who might be your client) would keep more of that, and would have more to be able to give to you

How'd you work that out? All my clients know full well they can claim the VAT back from HMCE, so why would they worry about paying it?

[expat]

What's the fuss about? It's not like you earned the VAT in the first place.

Well, it's part of the price the end customer pays, but it is removed from the chain before it can trickle down to oneself. Theoretically if there were no VAT, the customer would pay his supplier the same amount, the supplier (who might be your client) would keep more of that, and would have more to be able to give to you (or to his suppliers, one of whome would be your client...). So in a basic supply and demand model, the demanders of your services would be better off and should be prepared to pay a higher price because they have more to pay with.

[Bovvered]

What's the fuss about? It's not like you earned the VAT in the first place.

[Rebecca Loos]

bloody frogs
wonder if GB would have come up with the idea if it hadn't been invented before him

[expat]

You want to try Denmark: 25%.

What is better they charge it on any import. i.e. buy some books from Amazon UK and they bang another 25% on top.

Now what was that EU ruling that said they weren't allowed to do that?

If you order from the net within the EU, you should be charged your country's VAT by the internet seller. Which is what the EU says should happen.

By contrast, I forgot myself here in Switzerland and ordered something from the EU: duty to pay, fee for customs inspection, fee by Post Office for presenting to Customs, and VAT on the lot. Hmm.

PS yes, it was a French invention.

[Spartacus]

Darn, and there I was hoping, for an instant, if you get paid in cash you don't have to account for it.

That's the principle most corner shop owners follow.

[Churchill]

Darn, and there I was hoping, for an instant, if you get paid in cash you don't have to account for it.

Isn't that why they made you close down your last company?

[threaded]

Darn, and there I was hoping, for an instant, if you get paid in cash you don't have to account for it.

[planetit]

And making it payable at the point of invoice rather than payment is even better.

You could always try the Cash Accounting Scheme

HTH.

[privateeye]

I remember the fuss when maggie put vat on fish and chips so the chippies sold salt and vinegar and gave the fish and chips for free. Those were the days when tax avoidance was fun.

[AtW]

I think the French invented it.

[threaded]

You want to try Denmark: 25%.

What is better they charge it on any import. i.e. buy some books from Amazon UK and they bang another 25% on top.

Now what was that EU ruling that said they weren't allowed to do that?

[thunderlizard]

It's blimming loads when you think about it! Which nobody does, apart from at the retail end and rarely even then because people just get used to it.

With the amount of VAT I turf over with every invoice you could buy a decent sofa, rent a decent flat in Chelsea or visit a mid-market working girl every night.
And making it payable at the point of invoice rather than payment is even better.