Was VAT increase 20%?
 

General rant here. VAT increases by 2.5% right? And this doesn't apply to food?

So how come in Boots today the small bottle of water I buy has been hiked up from 50p to 60p for 250ml? That's a 20% increase. A lot of their other products seem to have increased by way over 2.5% too.

So all those people who on the news last night were saying - "Oh it's only £2.50 in every hundred pound I spend, it won't hurt" may want to think again when they see that the shops seem to have used the VAT increase as an excuse to raise all of their prices assuming that we'll just blame it on the Government while they fleece us.

And don't even get me started on rail and bus fares. I already pay £3780 per year for my train ticket and this morning they only ran half the trains due to over running engineering works and of those they did run they took out half the rolling stock and the journey took an additional 20 minutes. All this on the day they increased fares by a criminal amount.

Now I read that my bus company are increasing fares while no longer running buses to the last stop on the route which is where I live, so I have to walk further but pay more. And all buses will now cease at 7pm so on nights where I can't get a lift with Stu it will cost me £12 in a taxi. I'd take the bike to the station but there isn't adequate parking.

Rant over - as you were - happy new year.

:smt013

Re: Was VAT increase 20%?
 

Take the bike all the way to work.So much cheaper and there is a huge grassy area at Lords for you to park is'nt there?

Re: Was VAT increase 20%?
 

Yep, it's a bloody joke. Can't understand how they can continually increase the fares for public transport with it even being any where near adequate. Complete and utter nonsense. Can't even use public transport around here because it is so completely unreliable with them cancelling trains and buses at the very last minute. Joke.

Re: Was VAT increase 20%?
 

Notice how when the VAT decrease came in most high street shops decided not to discount any of their products, yet when the VAT increases they take full advantage and increase it beyond the 2.5%.

Re: Was VAT increase 20%?
 

What I would say is that bottled water is a luxury, and so not VAT exempt - doesn't warrant a 20% increase, but some part of it will be due to VAT.

I'm struggling with the transport one though, as the lack of investment has been ongoing for decades - if we want services like the new Javelin in time for the Olympics, then we're going to have to stump up the cash to make it happen (and thats why Essex prices are rising by as much as they are - RPI inflation + 3%). My annual transport fee is nothing like as much as LPH, but the trains I catch are almost all 25 years old, cold, rattly and usually standing room only, so it can be difficult to see where the money is going.

Re: Was VAT increase 20%?
 

You will live out in the wilds of Essex, what do you expect? As for the price hikes on food etc, Rounding up is what they call it. So 9.99 which should become 10.20, will now become 10.99

Re: Was VAT increase 20%?
 

Just remember, a lot of the feckers are just adding on 2.5% to their existing prices when it should be added on at pre vat price hence a slightly lower final price.

Eg £100 + 17.5% VAT is £117.5 add on another 2.5% comes to £120.44.


but £100 + 20% VAT is £120 so £0.44 difference, if that happens on everything you buy that will add up to a fair bit of wonga.

Or just go to B&Q where everything is over priced anyway, went to buy a plastic sink waste for a customers kitchen sink today, normally from a plumbers merchants, £5, B&Q price £10.99 but much poorer quality, how the hell do they get away with it.

Re: Was VAT increase 20%?
 

The VAT increase does not apply to food, water and childrens clothes......

Re: Was VAT increase 20%?
 

Errm, VAT is chargeable on bottled water.

Re: Was VAT increase 20%?
 

well them news people ont telly are fibbers then :)