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New Covid Tax?

I have just bought some building materials and have been charged 4% on top of VAT. Also my friend has been to an outdoor restaurant and been charged 4.6% Covid Tax. Is this legal and can you refuse to pay it?
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Comments

  • davidmcn
    davidmcn Posts: 23,596 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    It's legal if you're told about at the time of ordering. Is anybody actually calling it a "tax"? I presume they just mean a (possibly temporary) surcharge to account for their additional overheads.
  • comeandgo
    comeandgo Posts: 5,930 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Both my hairdresser and dentist have added an extra amount to my bills and it’s called Covid charge.  It is advertised on the reception desk that this charge will apply.  
  • peter_the_piper
    peter_the_piper Posts: 30,269 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    My daughter rents her house out whilst she is working abroad. The landlords insurance has just come up for renewal and it has gone up by 50%, due to corvid the company says. yeh right.
    I'd rather be an Optimist and be proved wrong than a Pessimist and be proved right.
  • peter_the_piper
    peter_the_piper Posts: 30,269 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Well I do think they are trying to rook us.
    I'd rather be an Optimist and be proved wrong than a Pessimist and be proved right.
  • Choughing 'eck!
  • I've seen this a lot too - it's usually a sanitation charge etc.
    If I was told about it beforehand I'll make a call on if I want to pay or not have the service done, but if it's sprung on me without warning they can go whistle. 
  • m0bov
    m0bov Posts: 2,775 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Lots of car dealers charging for Covid Cleaning, butchers put up prices last year, everyone is trying to cash in on corona.
  • pbartlett
    pbartlett Posts: 1,397 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 16 April 2021 at 12:59PM
    tell them you don't want the positive covid charge as it increases your bill, tell them you want the negative charge

  • MattMattMattUK
    MattMattMattUK Posts: 12,381 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fifth Anniversary Name Dropper
    m0bov said:
    Lots of car dealers charging for Covid Cleaning, butchers put up prices last year, everyone is trying to cash in on corona.
    More likely is that they have seen significant cost rises and are just looking to stay profitable. Tesco for example had it's revenue rise by 7% but profits fall by 20% as the additional costs of Covid cost the business more than £900 million.
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56742832
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