Hotel quote did not include VAT

globetraveller

were you given this quote verbally by the hotel?
The Hyatt website shows the price with 20% added and its not in tiny blue writing so was it another website?

hcb42

I agree, the Hyatt site makes it very clear.

moonrakerz

antrobus wrote: »

The OP is not a business. HMRC do tax; consumer protection is somebody else.



Trading Standards state that it is.



For the avoidance of doubt, that is a direct quote from the Trading Standards website.

Oh dear !..........you are getting desperate.

I NEVER said the OP was a business - if you can't understand that then there isn't much chance of you getting tax laws right either !

To quote you:- "HMRC do Tax" - NOT trading Standards. If HMRC say that you do not have to quote VAT, which they DO - that is it !

George_Michael

If HMRC say that you do not have to quote VAT, which they DO - that is it !

It doesn't matter one iota what HMRC say if this is in contradiction of what the a law states.
HMRC do not make or enforce consumer trading laws and whatever they state is simply their interpretation of written legislation.

The "Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008" are UK legislation and as such will take precedance over something written in on an HMRC website.

texranger

George_Michael wrote: »

It doesn't matter one iota what HMRC say if this is in contradiction of what the a law states.
HMRC do not make or enforce consumer trading laws and whatever they state is simply their interpretation of written legislation.

The "Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008" are UK legislation and as such will take precedance over something written in on an HMRC website.

WRONG

VAT is under the control of HMRC and they tell you on how to display and charge VAT for consumers and businesses


as Hyatt clearly states VAT 20% as an additional charge they have not mislead anyone and have not breached "Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008"

hcb42

it is exceptionally common in London for hotels to do this.

I find it hard to be illegal then or every major chain is breaking the law.

antrobus

moonrakerz wrote: »

Oh dear !..........you are getting desperate.

I NEVER said the OP was a business - if you can't understand that then there isn't much chance of you getting tax laws right either !

To quote you:- "HMRC do Tax" - NOT trading Standards. If HMRC say that you do not have to quote VAT, which they DO - that is it !

I'm afraid it is you that is getting rather desperate. What HMRC actually have to say on the matter is as follows;

Prices in advertisements, catalogues and price lists

Products advertised in outlets, magazines, on the internet, or shown in catalogues, price lists and other literature may be aimed at the consumer, businesses, or both. If they're only meant for the general public, they'll show you a price including VAT. This is a legal requirement.


If they're aimed at both consumers and businesses, they will usually show a VAT inclusive price, but may also show a price without VAT. The VAT inclusive price must be given equal importance, but read carefully to make absolutely certain you understand what price you'll pay.


Prices aimed only at businesses are usually shown with no VAT included. VAT will be charged on top of the price shown.

Firstly and obviously a hotel is offering services "aimed at both consumers and businesses" and therefore should "usually show a VAT inclusive price", and secondly this all comes from a web page entitled 'VAT basics for consumers' and is therefore clearly intended as a general guide to VAT for the general public and is not intended as legal advice to anyone.

Elsewhere, where HMRC clearly is trying to give advice to business, such as this page here - http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/forms-rates/rates/rate-increase.htm - regarding the increase in VAT to 20%, HMRC clearly state that "If you are a retailer you must clearly show your prices inclusive of VAT."

Now, the law on hotel pricing used to be found in the poetically entitled Tourism (Sleeping Accommodation Price Display) Order 1977 which required hotels to either include VAT in the price quoted (and say so) or state that the price quoted was exclusive of VAT and specify the amount of VAT (with equal prominence).

That Order has since been superseded by the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, a more general all encomposing piece of legislation of the kind favoured by our former New Labour masters. Regulation 6 states that the failure to quote the "the price, including any taxes" is a "misleading omission", and further states in regulation 10 that engaging in a "commercial practice which is a misleading omission" is an offence, which under regulation 13 can mean two years imprisonment if they get you up in front of a judge.

George_Michael wrote: »

The "Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008" are UK legislation and as such will take precedance over something written ... on an HMRC website.

Well yes that does put things rather more succinctly, and I do apologise for banging on about things, but sometimes it's not only important to get things right, but know why they're right.

antrobus

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

The site says:

1 The rate shown is the lowest available average nightly rate from the rates you have selected. Some rates require full prepayment and are subject to special cancellation penalty.
2 Additional taxes and charges may apply.

when doing a search for hotels and prices.

Then when you go to book it says

Total Per Room 2260.00 GBP Additional Charges 20.000 Percent tax
Total After Tax 2712.00 GBP
https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt/reservations/commonGuestInfo.jsp?xactionid=13264a92c7b&_requestid=439056

So it does tell you that there are additional taxes and then tells you how much when you go to book it. The website is clearly American though, which would be why it doesn't list is as excluding VAT - it's not primarily aimed at the UK market,

On the facts as stated;

Lewis_Gerolemou wrote: »

Stayed at a 5 star following wedding reception, quoted £225 but asked to pay £270.

then the OP was misled and should therefore make a complaint to Trading Standards, since a failure to quote a VAT inclusive price is an offence.

Of course, whether or not the OP was actually misled and the hotel in question actually commited an offence is something else entirely. Trading Standards are no doubt capable of making their own minds up about this sort of thing, and ultimately we have courts that possess similar capabilities.

vuvuzela

I'd just like to repeat my question to the OP - exactly which website did you use to book the room ?

George_Michael

texranger wrote: »

WRONG

VAT is under the control of HMRC and they tell you on how to display and charge VAT for consumers and businesses

I'm sorry, but if you read what I posted you will find that it was not wrong.

It doesn't matter one iota what HMRC say if this is in contradiction of what the a law states.
HMRC do not make or enforce consumer trading laws and whatever they state is simply their interpretation of written legislation.

What HMRC state on their website is not law .
Yes, they may well provide the input to the relevant bodies but until this is passed into statute then it is simply their thoughts or opinions about what should happen.
If someone does something illegal with regards to VAT then they will not be prosecuted under the HMCE website but under some form of legislation.

I