"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:
On 07/03/16 18:39, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:

No - but apparently we cannot VAT exempt a class of items as we wish
(eg like books, children's clothes other "essential" items used to be
zero VAT rated).

As a matter of interest, why should books be zero rated?

Because it was viewed as an education item and therefore essential (in a
wider sense).

So is a TV then.

Yes, there will always be problems like that
with different VAT rates on different things.

They are hardly
an essential item. And why children's clothes?

Are all parents necessarily
poorer than adults who buy clothes?

If an adult goes without that's up to them, but the idea was that
children should not - or at least not due to taxation pushing the price
up.

Children buy their own clothes from their own income?

Remember that it started out as a luxury purchase tax - an ethos I agree
with, although defining "luxury" vs "essential" is hard as you just
pointed out.

VAT is not the same sort of tax as purchase tax. In that it's levied on
services too.

And some services are VAT exempt for a reason.

Certainly, IMO, things like food, water, electricity, gas and
educational items should be zero rated.

If you reduce the tax on one thing it will have to be raised in another
way.

Just as true of no VAT.

Something most here don't seem to grasp.

More of your bare faced lies.

And I'm really surprised all the right wingers here don't
seem to like it, as it is proportionally unfair to the poor,

Bull**** it is when they make the most use of the
government services that are paid for by taxation.

and benefits the rich.

Even sillier than you usually manage.