Shoppers could face VAT on food

[Tridentine 10]

It's all part of a very clever plot to eliminate poverty from the UK.

 

Place VAT on food and the poor won't be able to afford it so they will either emigrate or starve. Either way you''ll be rid of them and so can say that 'poverty has been eliminated'.

 

"Hard on the poor and hard on the causes of the poor ".

 

Simples

[Forumosaurus 10]

Haven't seen Labour reduce it much in the past 13 years....

 

Yep, VAT has not been reduced by Labour....

[Treatment 10]

Tories always like taxes that have more of an impact on the poor.

 

If the poor bothered to get off their backsides and vote there wouldn't be a problem to discuss.

[Berberis 10]

VAT has always been a favourite of the Conservatives; so if Dave manages to scrape 40% of the poll, you can bet VAT increases will be in their first budget.

 

They introduced VAT in the first place at 8% in 1973; then increased it to 15% in 1979, and then increased it to 17.5% in 1991; and then extended it to domestic fuel in 1993.

 

Tories always like taxes that have more of an impact on the poor.

 

1973:

VAT introduced as a replacement for Purchase Tax and Selective Employment Tax, as a condition of UK entry into the European Economic Community.

 

1979:

The newly elected conservative party merges the two previous rates to a single rate of 15 per cent to offset the impact of large cuts to the Basic and Higher Rates of Income Tax. Shifting the burden of taxation from earnings to consumption.

 

1991:

An increase from 15% to 17.5% is introduced to plug the gap in finances felt by local councils over huge levels of defaulted "poll tax" contributions.

 

So there you have it, VAT was introduced as a requisite to entering the EU and was not a new tax but a replacement for other taxes that ceased. Then the rise from 0%/8% to 15% was also becasue another tax ceased to exist. Lastly going from 15% to 17.5% was a direct result for all those people who refused to pay their poll tax.

[Treatment 10]

Lastly going from 15% to 17.5% was a direct result for all those people who refused to pay their poll tax.

 

So now the Poll Tax has gone, we can expect a reversion to 15% can we ?

[Berberis 10]

So now the Poll Tax has gone, we can expect a reversion to 15% can we ?

 

The deficit was huge as many forget they no longer paid their rates, so councils were in effect starved of funds. This money had to come from somewhere and VAT was the way it was recouped over some years.

 

Neither you nor I know if this gap in finances has been paid off yet. If it has then its Labour you need to be asking not me.

[Treatment 10]

The deficit was huge as many forget they no longer paid their rates, so councils were in effect starved of funds. This money had to come from somewhere and VAT was the way it was recouped over some years.

 

Neither you nor I know if this gap in finances has been paid off yet. If it has then its Labour you need to be asking not me.

 

It was meant to be rhetorical, like when income tax was doubled to aid the Crimean War effort.

[Berberis 10]

It was meant to be rhetorical, like when income tax was doubled to aid the Crimean War effort.

 

ooooh, I see, my bad.

[Sausage Dog 10]

1973:

VAT introduced as a replacement for Purchase Tax and Selective Employment Tax, as a condition of UK entry into the European Economic Community.

 

1979:

The newly elected conservative party merges the two previous rates to a single rate of 15 per cent to offset the impact of large cuts to the Basic and Higher Rates of Income Tax. Shifting the burden of taxation from earnings to consumption.

 

1991:

An increase from 15% to 17.5% is introduced to plug the gap in finances felt by local councils over huge levels of defaulted "poll tax" contributions.

 

So there you have it, VAT was introduced as a requisite to entering the EU and was not a new tax but a replacement for other taxes that ceased. Then the rise from 0%/8% to 15% was also becasue another tax ceased to exist. Lastly going from 15% to 17.5% was a direct result for all those people who refused to pay their poll tax.

 

You’ve pretty much said it yourself in the example you give for 1979 – “shifting the burden of taxation from earnings to consumption”. As I said, the Tories have always favoured taxes that place more of a burden on poorer people, who spend a greater proportion of their income on essentials.

 

In 1979 and 1991 the Tories could have chosen other taxes to increase, such as income tax, but instead they favour VAT, which is a regressive tax..

 

You’ve also conveniently (?) not rebutted the point about the Tories introducing VAT on domestic fuel.

[Berberis 10]

You’ve pretty much said it yourself in the example you give for 1979 – “shifting the burden of taxation from earnings to consumption”. As I said, the Tories have always favoured taxes that place more of a burden on poorer people, who spend a greater proportion of their income on essentials.

 

In 1979 and 1991 the Tories could have chosen other taxes to increase, such as income tax, but instead they favour VAT, which is a regressive tax..

 

You’ve also conveniently (?) not rebutted the point about the Tories introducing VAT on domestic fuel.

 

VAT was introduced onto domestic fuel, that is a fact. Why is it that if I am disagreeing with some of your post I must disagree with it all.

 

The rest I stand by and the little history lesson shows that your assertion that VAT is some evil Tory plan is baseless and looks more like the usual Tory 'let’s forget the facts' bashing which comes from the ever uneasy red quadrant of this forum.

 

Toodle pip

[Sausage Dog 10]

VAT was introduced onto domestic fuel, that is a fact. Why is it that if I am disagreeing with some of your post I must disagree with it all.

 

The rest I stand by and the little history lesson shows that your assertion that VAT is some evil Tory plan is baseless and looks more like the usual Tory 'let’s forget the facts' bashing which comes from the ever uneasy red quadrant of this forum.

 

Toodle pip

 

Sorry, not letting you go yet.

 

You're right, you don't have to disagree with it all. I just wondered if you had conveniently forgot the very unpopluar introduction of VAT on domestic fuel.

 

I've never mentioned evil and Tory in the same sentence. Just pointing out that VAT is a favourite of theirs - time will tell what they do if they manage to squeeze enough votes in May.

 

I'll admit to having a tinge of red around the edge, but I ain't a defender of this Government - I give praise sometimes, and disagree many other times. Thing is, there are some Tory supporters on here who can't bring themselves to criticise anything jolly Dave and his gang propose. Can you?

[Greybeard 10]

Sorry, not letting you go yet.

 

Thing is, there are some Tory supporters on here who can't bring themselves to criticise anything jolly Dave and his gang propose. Can you?

 

They haven't proposed very much yet, apart from a free vote on fox hunting and getting rid of Gordon Brown