If I hear one more person mention the VAT increase....

[dirtydog]

Yeah it's a big deal over nothing. Stuff isn't more expensive now because of VAT (okay, marginally so), it's mainly due to the global economy and various other factors depending on the nature of the product. Looking at the PC market, it can be seen a lot of prices have increased dramatically since the economic downturn.

Probably because the pound has lost 25% of its value over that period.

 

[dirtydog]

Always!! I remember it being 15% during late 80s

And it was 8% before Margaret Thatcher raised it to 15% of course.

 

[krooton]

Matheoretically, I will be spending an extra £37.50 a month because of this!

In reality, about a tenner more a month.

 

[The Dread Pirate]

Matheoretically, I will be spending an extra £37.50 a month because of this!

In reality, about a tenner more a month.

Mathematically

 

[krooton]

Mathematically

I should have put a (sic) next to it.

 

[peter_hutson]

I'm coming to the end of a very expensive house build, as this was based around an existing cottage, VAT applied. I can tell you the 2.5% made a significant impact. As the budget was put together prior to the VAT drop, this gave us around 6K extra to play with. This has been spent on improving the spec. In our case then the VAT drop directly caused us to purchase more goods, though the overall spend remained roughly the same. I await the day it rises to 20%

 

[Infam0us]

I noticed, then I moved on.

 

[yhack]

It's going up to 20% in April iirc.

 

[evoyear]

you have to live with it

 

[krooton]

I do love how the government can suddenly decree that most things are worth 2.5% more.

 

[MikeHunt79]

It's going up to 20% in April iirc.

oh rly?

 

[Cyanide]

oh rly?

If we have an election in March and the Tories win then probably yes

 

[Cyanide]

I do love how the government can suddenly decree that most things are worth 2.5% more.

But they haven't, things cost the exact same as they did just over a year ago

Vat hasn't just magically gone up but 2.5%. They didn't drop it by 2.5% then put it up by 5%. It's just all back to normal again, why is it such a massive thing?

 

[krooton]

But they haven't, things cost the exact same as they did just over a year ago

Vat hasn't just magically gone up but 2.5%. They didn't drop it by 2.5% then put it up by 5%. It's just all back to normal again, why is it such a massive thing?

I was referring to the possible rise to 20%.

 

[Jonny69]

It's not on here, it's all over the high street, the papers and the news. The day before it happened, I heard people walking about the local shopping centre actually saying they had better buy stuff now 'cos the VAT was going back up! I bet they saved pennies, a fiver at the most.

A £500 tv will cost £10.80 more

OH NOES PANIC BUY ZOR!!!!!