Generali's 12 days of Christmas Quiz (part II)

Generali

So answers:

Which of the following are 'zero rated' or exempted for the purposes of VAT?
a. Children's car seats - VAT payable at 5%
b. Tampons - VAT payable at 5%
c. Chocolate body paint - zero rated (along with chocolate sprinkles etc)
d. Pornographic magazines - 0% VAT
e. Gambling - VAT exempt
f. Crisps - full VAT (tortilla chips are zero rated though)
g. Frozen Chips - zero rated (frozen ready meal)
h. New Helicopters - zero rated, whether for sale or charter
i. New Cars - full VAT payable

Read more about the lunacy here

Question 2

According to Bloomberg, how many 'bankers' lost their jobs worldwide in 2011? - Answer c, 230,000 or 'above 200,000' depending which article you read.

Generali

Question 3.
By how much do the Office for National Statistics reckon that the total value of all the houses in England, Scotland and Wales rose or fell between the survey period 2006-8 and 2008-10?
a. Up > £200,000,000,000
b. Up < £200,000,000,000
c. Unchanged
d. Down < £200,000,000,000
e. Down > £200,000,000,000

Next question tomorrow on this thread. Answers to both the day after (time zones permitting).

gallygirl

Generali wrote: »

Question 3.
By how much do the Office for National Statistics reckon that the total value of all the houses in England, Scotland and Wales rose or fell?
a. Up > £200,000,000,000
b. Up < £200,000,000,000
c. Unchanged
d. Down < £200,000,000,000
e. Down > £200,000,000,000

Next question tomorrow on this thread. Answers to both the day after (time zones permitting).

C for me, and I think I got all Q1 right :j. I got Q2 wrong though

Generali

gallygirl wrote: »

C for me, and I think I got all Q1 right :j. I got Q2 wrong though

Only person to get Q1 right at that.

michaels

I think we need to know when for the house price question?

Generali

michaels wrote: »

I think we need to know when for the house price question?

Oooops. Will edit the question.

ETA: Now edited. D'oh!

Wutang_2

I literally have no idea what you are talking about, is this english?

michaels

Ok assumptions time - taking the mid point of the date ranges as 2007 and 2009 we are talking peak to trough. 'Remembering' that during this period prices fell approx 10% from about 180k to 160k (is this just sold prices? Are the cheaper end of the housing stock more likely to change hands each year?) and guessing there are about 25m houses in the UK gives a decline of £500 billion. This means that most of the assumptions (guesses) can be fairly wrong and we are still in the option (e) sort of ball park this is what I will go for.

I wasn't too bad on the VAT question (helicopters and airships excepted [why?]) but didn't have a clue on banking jobs (was it just investment banking as surely there are many more consumer banking jobs the number of which goes up initially with economic development before falling with technological chage?).

chewmylegoff

Generali wrote: »

Question 3.
By how much do the Office for National Statistics reckon that the total value of all the houses in England, Scotland and Wales rose or fell between the survey period 2006-8 and 2008-10?
a. Up > £200,000,000,000
b. Up < £200,000,000,000
c. Unchanged
d. Down < £200,000,000,000
e. Down > £200,000,000,000

Next question tomorrow on this thread. Answers to both the day after (time zones permitting).

I reckon e.

Apparently they footnoted their report with the word "TIMBER!!!!!!!!!!".

chewmylegoff

michaels wrote:

gives a decline of £500 trillion.

Mein gott!!!! The 10,000% club??

michaels

That is the little known 'Exagerationist' trillion - after all if the Americans can get away with calling one thousand million a billion why shouldn't I call a thousand thousand thousand a trillion

chewmylegoff wrote: »

Mein gott!!!! The 10,000% club??