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VAT: Should they display it?

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    #92
    jor el
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭jor el


    Elmo wrote: »
    A plain Biscuit v A Chocolate Biscuit, saves you some money and is a tiny bit heathlier :D

    But you wouldn't buy one based on the VAT rate, you'd buy it based on the actual price, and whether or not you wanted the fancy one versus the plain one. Foxes chocolate covered shortcake biscuits are very expensive, but Cadbury's chocolate covered Rich Tea, are cheaper. St. Bernard Digestives are cheaper than Jacobs Digestives, even though the VAT rates are the same for both comparisons.

    To save money, all that matters is the price, the VAT rate/amount is meaningless.
    Redbilby wrote:
    This actually saves quite a few € over a weekly grocery shop ...

    I still see absolutely no benefit in displaying VAT rates on consumer goods. I also don't see how knowing that one type of product has less VAT than another can save you money. All you need to save money, is to know the actual selling price. That's all that counts.


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    #93
    antoinolachtnai
    Registered Users Posts: 9,793 ✭✭✭antoinolachtnai


    To be fair, there may be some advantage in displaying the VAT. I can't see it, but some consumers want it, and find it useful, and that's OK in my book.

    However, saying that we should force all retailers to display VAT is quite a different matter.


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    #94
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    We display everything else why not show the VAT on retail products.
    St. Bernard Digestives are cheaper than Jacobs Digestives, even though the VAT rates are the same for both comparisons.

    And lets face it a Digestive is a digestive so why do Dunnes charge more for a Jacobs/McVities Digestive than a St. Bernard one?

    Do Hob-nobs carry VAT?


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    #95
    anothernight
    Registered Users Posts: 2,541 ✭✭✭anothernight


    wmpdd3 wrote: »
    I think it should be shown especially on health and beauty and baby products.

    Tampons and nappies at a luxury rate of 21%!!

    Heh just learned something new today. Apparently neither tampons nor nappies are at the 21.5% rate as I thought they'd be...

    Disposable nappies are 0% VAT:
    http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vat/rates/decision-detail-00714.html

    ...as are tampons and sanitary towels:
    http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vat/rates/decision-detail-01480.html


    As for displaying the VAT rate in the shops, I can see how it would increaase awareness, but I can't see how it would actually help in the grand scheme of things


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    #96
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    anothernight wrote: »
    As for displaying the VAT rate in the shops, I can see how it would increaase awareness, but I can't see how it would actually help in the grand scheme of things

    It would also allow people to discuss VAT rates with politicians and let the get on the side of the retailer.

    Transparency is key. IMO


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    #97
    antoinolachtnai
    Registered Users Posts: 9,793 ✭✭✭antoinolachtnai


    But it is transparent. There is a list on the Revenue website of what products and services attract what rates. Anothernight refers to it above. There are no secrets here.

    You can talk to your politicians until you are blue in the face. They can change the rate of VAT, but they basically can't change the rates for individual items.


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    #98
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    antoinolachtnai wrote: »
    But it is transparent. There is a list on the Revenue website of what products and services attract what rates. Anothernight refers to it above. There are no secrets here.

    You can talk to your politicians until you are blue in the face. They can change the rate of VAT, but they basically can't change the rates for individual items.

    Not everyone has the Internet. Yes they could go into Citizen Information, but wouldn't it be far more transparent to have the details on the product the buy. Perhaps revenue should send VAT books to each shop and have them display it but it would be easier for the consumer just to read the VAT rate on the product they are buying.


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    #99
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,381 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    parsi wrote: »
    Or are we saying that if the choice is between a cheapr biscuit and a dearer biscuit folk will choose the one with less VAT in order to sock it to the Government ?
    Not everybody despises the government and some might conciously choose to contribute towards the economy. So if the 2 packs of biscuits are the same end price and the customer has no real preference for one over the other then they might go for the high VAT one. This results in helping the economy, this is the same sort of idea/logic as "buying Irish", even though the Irish product might cost a little more some will buy it.
    parsi wrote: »
    We already have unit/weight-based pricing and anecdotally it would seem that a lot of people don't bother performing comparisons on this basis.
    What anecdotes have you heard? I use that form of pricing for comparisons all the time, I used to calculate it in my head long before they started displaying it like they do now, many times the small packs are far cheaper. Also many of the price per kilos are incorrect in shops, I am not sure what the law is in regards to this.


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    #100
    BaconZombie
    Registered Users Posts: 8,813 ✭✭✭BaconZombie


    Ironically condoms are also counted as a "luxury item".
    Elmo wrote: »
    Just so that it is transparent to customers as to how much VAT they are paying. For example their are some items that don't carry VAT, and people show know which ones do and do not.

    For example I am surprised that "Tampons and nappies at a luxury rate of 21%!!" but then I buy neither so perhaps it is a bit pointless :rolleyes: really they should be at 0%.

    I really need to think about my arguments lol.

    All I am saying it would be great to see how much the shop charges just in case they charge incorrectly.


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    #101
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    BOFH_139 wrote: »
    Ironically condoms are also counted as a "luxury item".


    They reduced the VAT on condoms as already mentioned. Part of The Green's going into government.


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    #102
    Quint
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,407 ✭✭✭Quint


    NO NO NO!
    All that would happen is that retailers would display the price without VAT in massive numbers, the including vat price would be tiny


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    #103
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    Quint wrote: »
    NO NO NO!
    All that would happen is that retailers would display the price without VAT in massive numbers, the including vat price would be tiny

    AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN

    This is not what I am talking about, just displaying the VAT rate at the very least.

    I don't want/ nor do I think it would lead to prices excluding VAT only to be added on at the till.


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    #104
    Quint
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,407 ✭✭✭Quint


    Elmo wrote: »
    AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN

    This is not what I am talking about, just displaying the VAT rate at the very least.

    I don't want/ nor do I think it would lead to prices excluding VAT only to be added on at the till.

    Displaying the vat rate would be fine. But the excluding vat price, no no no!
    Imagine everyone could advertise like Ryanair? Not include taxes and charges. Petrol, tobacco and drink would seem dirt cheap


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    #105
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,381 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    Quint wrote: »
    But the excluding vat price, no no no!
    Not one single person suggested doing this, Elmo has said this 3-4 times now, so have I. Everybody is dead against this, I hated shopping in the states because of that, I cannot think of a reason anybody would prefer it, unless they were business people, who usually shop with trade cataloges which may or may not list VAT free prices.
    Quint wrote: »
    Imagine everyone could advertise like Ryanair?
    Exactly, people hated it, and a law was brought in to make them show taxes in papers etc, airlines are an example of companies who do show both the TAX added price and the separate Tax price too. Though the snakes still lump a load of extra charges on at booking time. Tickemaster do the same.


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