Council Tax - Future house valuations

pete80

lincroft1710 wrote: »

pete - if you want a tax that is completely unfair try VAT. So you need a plumber or electrician to do vital work in your home and you have to pay the government 15% (will soon revert to 17.5%) of their bill for the privilege.

Yes, we are both agreed on "the dreaded" as Mr A Daley used to say, if I remember rightly wasn't there another tax before VAT and wasn't it charged only on luxury items. My memory is going to pot recently, must be all that damned spread betting....

Also I see that Obama wants to bring VAT into the USA to help pay for medicines for the poor, the Yanks won't like that replacing their sales taxes which are in single figures. We even have VAT in the Philippines now @ 12%.

On your point about plumbers and Sparks though, Cash is King :rolleyes:

RayWolfe

pete80 wrote: »

On your point about plumbers and Sparks though, Cash is King :rolleyes:

Clearly you were a good citizen when you were!
If tradesmen are happy to rip off the tax system, how happy will they be to rip of the customer?

pete80

RayWolfe wrote: »

Clearly you were a good citizen when you were!
If tradesmen are happy to rip off the tax system, how happy will they be to rip of the customer?

Yep, the roofers, plumbers etc all seemed to have nice detached houses in nice areas....... Thinking about it in 16 years of house ownership I dealt with most water leaks, plumbing in washing machine and Fridge Icemaker etc and my Brother was a qualified sparks so there was no bill to pay tax on there. I wished I had taken an apprenticeship in one of the trades when I left school, could have retired a bit earlier :rolleyes:

I was a bit of a spender when living and earning in the UK so I did put a good few bob into the VAT coffers by buying half of Comets and PC World junk not to mention all the flight taxes I paid on my travel hobby.

I just ordered a fuel pump from the UK for my old Yammy trail bike yesterday and didn't have to pay any VAT. Over here any taxable items I have imported so far have all been charged at 35 Pesos (about 45 pence) so I will be quids in on the fuel pump. :beer:

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lincroft1710

I think if VAT was say 5 or 7% there would be a lot less cash in hand. It's probably the rate it is to balance lost revenue from cash in hand. Whatever an individual's electrical skills, certain jobs can now only be done by qualified sparks. Even installing double glazed window is regulated, so DIY installer will not be able to get required certificate without which can affect future house sale.

Talking of plumbers, some I know don't know meaning of 40 hour week, where it's an "emergency" they'll work until job's done, so they deserve their money.

Prior to VAT main tax was purchase tax, which had different rates and v. complex.

We must not forget VAT on gas/electric supplies and also insurance tax. At least there isn't a tax on s-x yet!!!

pete80

lincroft1710 wrote: »

I think if VAT was say 5 or 7% there would be a lot less cash in hand. It's probably the rate it is to balance lost revenue from cash in hand. Whatever an individual's electrical skills, certain jobs can now only be done by qualified sparks. Even installing double glazed window is regulated, so DIY installer will not be able to get required certificate without which can affect future house sale.

Talking of plumbers, some I know don't know meaning of 40 hour week, where it's an "emergency" they'll work until job's done, so they deserve their money.

Prior to VAT main tax was purchase tax, which had different rates and v. complex.

We must not forget VAT on gas/electric supplies and also insurance tax. At least there isn't a tax on s-x yet!!!

Yes, the old purchase tax and I just looked this one up - Super Tax, but that turned out to be the higher level of income tax till 1973 so didn't affect me at School then.....honest.

I rememeber a joke circular doing the rounds through the offices at work when the Poll Tax was in. It announced a proposed tax on "a bit of the other" and was to be called Pole Tax and charged at "a Shilling an inch"!! :rotfl::rotfl:

pete80

Thought this thread should get a bump, an article from good old Daily Mail comic book today with plenty more comments....Oh Gord :mad:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1213107/The-snoopers-handbook-Guide-ensure-home-improvement-escapes-Council-Tax-inspectors.html#comments

lincroft1710

What's hilarious are the comments, most are factually incorrect, a tiny minority are reasoned, about 20% from ex pats, many are pure hysteria, vast majority anti Labour.

RayWolfe

No, the vast majority are anti everything. DM readers do seem to be the unhappiest people around, poor things ....

pete80

RayWolfe wrote: »

No, the vast majority are anti everything. DM readers do seem to be the unhappiest people around, poor things ....

And I thought that crown belonged to the Daily Express sheeple....:rotfl:

RayWolfe

I think there is close competition between them, but of course, the DE cheers up it's readers with thoughts of Diana's return when the Martians have finished with her.