VAT on Groceries - Can we be VAT Free?

geordie_joe

KimYeovil wrote: »

No. A 2.1% price increase is undetectable and is swamped by the chaotic and tricksy pricing policies of all supermarkets.

Well firstly, it will not be swamped by pricing policies of supermarkets, it will be on top of those as an added extra.

But I think you are missing the point anyway. The idea is to reduce the number of vat-able items we buy. I see that as a way of hitting the government, who tried to make us believe they wouldn't increase vat if they got in, then increased it after they did.

VoucherMan

Allegra wrote: »

How many people in Britain buy a cow in order to butcher it and serve it up for Sunday lunch ?

Quite a lot of farmers I should think.

VoucherMan

geordie_joe wrote: »

I see that as a way of hitting the government

Good luck!

Unfortunately I fear that if we all stopped buying foods with added VAT they'd only find something else to tax/tax more.

MrsBartolozzi

VoucherMan wrote: »

Good luck!

Unfortunately I fear that if we all stopped buying foods with added VAT they'd only find something else to tax/tax more.

I agree to an extent, but with everything else we have to pay vat on the food bill will probably be the least of our worries.
When last year's VAT decrease/re-increase happened I saw no real difference to my weekly food cost. The VAT-rated food I buy tends to be bogof or on offer anyway (my kids get whatever crisps, choc biccies are on offer) and while big bars of Dairy Milk have increased a lot:eek:, they are on offer at one supermarket or another every few weeks so I buy then:D.

It's probably a better idea to work out what vat-rated stuff you can buy beforehand - toothpaste, kitchen roll, loo roll and the like. These will keep, and also checking to see if you need work done on your car/house etc and getting it done beforehand.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jun/22/vat-rise-average-shopping-basket

This article reckons the average shopping basket will be £33 higher because of a VAT increase - that's 63p a week! Not really enough to get knickers in a knot about as seasonal and promotional fluctuations cause variations of at least that amount.

geordie_joe

Allegra wrote: »

How many people in Britain buy a cow in order to butcher it and serve it up for Sunday lunch ?

I think the point was that horses are not a recognised food species in this country. In fact I'm pretty sure you are not even allowed to export horses to another country if they are going to be eaten.

geordie_joe

VoucherMan wrote: »

Good luck!

Unfortunately I fear that if we all stopped buying foods with added VAT they'd only find something else to tax/tax more.

I don't expect everybody to stop buying every food that has VAT added. But there's nothing wrong with thinking "OK, you put up the VAT rate, so I will try not to buy some things that have vat on them".

I know that if they don't get enough from one type of tax they will tax something else, but that doesn't stop anyone trying to pay the least amount of tax they can.

jenniewb

geordie_joe wrote: »

Well I've read this thread several times and can't see a post where someone has said it won't, so what is the point in asking if we are "sure that food prices wont still rise"

The original question was along the lines of "How can we reduce the number of things we buy that have VAT on them"

So in answer to your question........We are sure prices will will rise, but what we want to know is how can we change what we buy so as little as possible goes to the government who caused the rise in the first place"?

It was a rhetorical question. I was stating my point of view if your asking what the point was.

But just to add, if your trying to pay as little to the government as possible, they are likely to raise taxes or prices elsewhere, if they want all your money, they are more then likely to get it.:mad: (even if you don't have it!)

Clowance

as a general rule processed foods attract vat and basics do not, eg meat, cheese, veg (not sure about frozen or tinned though).

Dick_here

VoucherMan wrote: »

Quite a lot of farmers I should think.

They would sell a cow, not buy it.

Larumbelle

I can't believe that a flippant, admittedly rather bad joke I made has bothered you so much, VoucherMan. It's the only reason I mentioned horses.