Make a progressive New UK party

[alexaherself]

it is one of the most efficient taxes to collect

I'm not trying to be rude to you, at all, but do you mean this seriously, or ironically?

VAT has been notorious for decades for being one of the very least efficient and most expensive taxes there can possibly be, to collect, in proportion to what it actually raises for HMRC.

It's unique, among taxes, for being the one kind of tax that unites taxpayers, officials and politicians in their acceptance of how very inefficient it is.

It's turned us from a nation of taxpayers into a nation of tax-collectors. :smart:

and can be easily applied with discretion between necessities and luxery items.

Easily? You're joking, perhaps?

The difficulties and anomalies involved in trying to do exactly that have caused perhaps more stupid and unnecessary litigation, over my lifetime, than any other tax-related issue.

And why would that be a good thing, anyway? Why would an easy ability (if there were one, which there isn't) to distinguish between luxuries and necessities justify taxing spending?!

It can also be avoided based on ones disposable income.

Now you're having a laugh, surely?

The people least capable of avoiding VAT are precisely the poorest in society who aren't in business, aren't VAT registered, and so on. They pay VAT on most of what they buy, and unlike many of society's more affluent members, they have no possible way to reclaim any of it at all.

Excuse my asking, but have you actually thought this through at all??

 

[Atilla]

I'm not trying to be rude to you, at all, but do you mean this seriously, or ironically?

VAT has been notorious for decades for being one of the very least efficient and most expensive taxes there can possibly be, to collect, in proportion to what it actually raises for HMRC.

It's unique, among taxes, for being the one kind of tax that unites taxpayers, officials and politicians in their acceptance of how very inefficient it is.

It's turned us from a nation of taxpayers into a nation of tax-collectors. :smart:



Easily? You're joking, perhaps?

The difficulties and anomalies involved in trying to do exactly that have caused perhaps more stupid and unnecessary litigation, over my lifetime, than any other tax-related issue.

And why would that be a good thing, anyway? Why would an easy ability (if there were one, which there isn't) to distinguish between luxuries and necessities justify taxing spending?!



Now you're having a laugh, surely?

The people least capable of avoiding VAT are precisely the poorest in society who aren't in business, aren't VAT registered, and so on. They pay VAT on most of what they buy, and unlike many of society's more affluent members, they have no possible way to reclaim any of it at all.

Excuse my asking, but have you actually thought this through at all??

eg: Nil VAT on say Children clothes and food. Tax on cars, ciggies and alcohol etc.

If one is in business and VAT registered as I was you deal with it. What's the big deal?

Yes it is an efficient tax to collect and one that is easy to administer.

 

[alexaherself]

What's the big deal?

1. The iniquity of taxing spending
2. All the unnecessary litigation
3. The fact that the cost of collecting it is by almost universal consent grotesquely high compared with what it actually raises
4. The fact that (exactly the opposite of what you said above) it's precisely the poorest people in society who are the ones who can't avoid paying it.

Yes it is an efficient tax to collect and one that is easy to administer.

"Difficult to know whether actually serious or just trolling".

 

[spinola]

There's no place for party politics in politics , any more. Put all career politicians out to grass, and let the people drive policy directly by voting in any legislation.

Ditto the legal sytem. Take the legal knowledge out of the few ' knowledge paedophiles ' , and teach all kids 12 years of their own laws , via their normal state education.

Anything less, is just the thinking mans evolution of slavery and mass exploitation.

Ohh, and free walnut whips for all retail traders !

 

[alexaherself]

Ohh, and free walnut whips for all retail traders !

Now you're talking!

 

[Atilla]

1. The iniquity of taxing spending I assume you are talking about flat rate taxation aspect here say on food. However, if we assume food should be nil as we all need to eat to survive then there would be nothing unfair about it. Flat rate taxation maybe deemed to be unfair yes but this is why one should avoid VAT on necessities.
2. All the unnecessary litigation - Tax evasion will exist no matter what. This is merely displacement.
3. The fact that the cost of collecting it is by almost universal consent grotesquely high compared with what it actually raises This is a concern yes but one that could be improved if the whole taxation system is simplified.
4. The fact that (exactly the opposite of what you said above) it's precisely the poorest people in society who are the ones who can't avoid paying it. This doesn't just apply to VAT but pretty much all things.



"Difficult to know whether actually serious or just trolling".

I'm serious.

 

[davidcraigson]

Very interesting thread. Would be nice if it came off the web and into real life