Zero VAT

Why are there zero VAT rates for foodstuffs, books, pharmaceuticals, medical, passenger transport, newspapers, children’s clothing?

Yes, I've heard the argument that these are "necessities, not luxuries". But look at the other countries in Europe that apply VAT. Hardly anyone else has a zero VAT rate; only Malta and Ireland, and there might be some British influence there.

I think it comes from the old concept of "purchase tax", where the rates depended on who "luxurious" the goods were.

But it just doesn't make sense to me (especially the idea that books and newspapers are a necessity of life). And anyway, the whole concept of VAT isn't about how "luxurious" things are. It's purely about their value.

And a reduced rate for domestic and charity-consumed fuel and power? Property renovations? Quit-smoking products? I just don't see any good justification.

We should put 20% VAT on everything.


Sources: 

http://www.vatlive.com/vat-rates/european-vat-rates/eu-vat-rates/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/dec/31/vat-brief-history-tax

Weight report, and a trip to the dentist

15 stone, 0 pounds.

I had hoped to go out caching today, but I had a bad night on account of a painful tooth. This morning, I phoned the Dentist, and they suggested I come straight round. So I did; he had a look, and told me that I had a starting abscess on that tooth. Bad news.

He filed the filling down a fraction to reduce the pressure on it, gave me a prescription for an antibiotic and I have to go back on June 11 for a root filling, and then again a week later for a finishing-off filling. I don't enjoy these, but they're tolerable.

Bouncing around Brackley

Today I rode the bike around Brackley, trying to get all the caches in the town. I got nearly all of them.

The most enjoyable ones were caches that required me to solve a puzzle after I'd found the cache - one was a box that you had to work out hw to open, another was sliding blocks, one was a maze, and the best one was a screw thread with two ends, and two nuts that you could turn. Then on to the BBH event in Aylesbury, with ladysolly and many other cachers. A total of 40 caches today.

Tax avoidance and tax evasion - who's the villain?

Much is talked these days about Google, Amazon, Starbucks and many other corporations because they aren;t paying as much tax as we'd like them to. Because they legally avoid taxes. Whose the villain?

The UK government, supported by the media, are blaming the corporations. But the corporations are following the rules that the governments have made. If they weren't, they could be prosecuted, fined, thrown into jail, whatever. So whose fault is it that the law isn't what we want it to be?

Parliament makes the law. So parliament is to blame if the laws aren't what we want. Margaret Hodges accuses Google of using smoke and mirrors to avoid paying tax.

The true culprit, is Hodges and her ilk, the other MPs, who are using smoke and mirrors to deflect the blame from those who have made tax laws that we don't think are right, onto the innocent victims, the corporations, who are complying with those tax laws, and paying as little tax as they legally can.

I too, legally avoid paying some of the taxes that I might otherwise be paying. I have Premium Bonds, issued by the government, and the revenue that those generate for me is tax free. Similarly, the ISA - here's a quote from the HMRC web site.

"An ISA is a type of savings account. Basically, if you save in an ISA you are entitled to keep all that you receive from that investment and not pay any tax on it."

Am I evil for taking advantage of the schemes that the government offers and promotes? Of course not. So why should anyone else be evil for paying as little tax as they legally must?

If we don't like the way this works, we should change the law. Not blame people and corporations who are complying with the law.

Happy birthday, Charlie

Down to London today to celebrate grandson.1's second birthday at Vauxhall city farm. While there, I picked up the associated cache. I had coronation chicken sandwiches, strawberries-and-cream and birthday cake. Yum!

Mail order boots

 I feel the need for a new pair of boots. The ones I wore today are probably my best pair, but they're going home (there's a split in the upper), and today they hurt my feet because they weren't flexing properly. I do a lot of walking, and foot comfort is really really important to me.

Does it make sense to buy walking boots over the web? I don't know, but I'm about to find out. I want them to be waterproof, durable and a good fit.

First I went to Ebay, and there was a huge selection. Too huge. And no customer reviews for the products, only for the vendor's reputation. But I want to know about the boots.

Then I went to Sports Direct. I found a few likely pairs, but when I looked at the customer reviews, most of them were rubbished. After a bit more research, I found out that Lonsdale Sports owns the Karrimor brand. Lonsdale Sports also owns Sports Direct, so A) it isn't surprising that Sports Direct sell Karrimor products, and B) the great reputation that Karrimor had, seems to have lessened.

So then I looked at Hi Tec, and specifically the Hi-Tec Men's Eurotrek WP. That has had great customer reviews. I went to Amazon and there it's had rave reviews - also, Amazon was a few pounds cheaper. So I bought a pair of dark brown size 12s from Amazon for £32.94 (including delivery), and I just hope they fit.

Wineham Wander

Out with ladysolly today, to do the Wineham Wander, 22 caches (including two which are archived but which are actually there), all tricky, no hints! We managed to get them all, but it was a struggle, and one of them needed a PAF. By the end of the walk (5 miles) ladysolly looked like she needed a battery change, and I need a new pair of boots, I don't currently have a really good pair that fits and is comfortable. Maybe I'll have a look on Ebay.