Brussels is kicking up a merry stink because the UK collects less of its VAT than any other EU country - or so it claims. (It is hard to believe that the French have a better record!)So why are they getting so snippy about this? - Of course, we forget at our peril that the EU gets a rakeoff from any VAT collected here! (You didn't really think that Purchase Tax was abolished at the time of our entry to the grossly misnamed Common Market for fun, did you?)
Incidentally, some years ago, every VAT man who visited businesses was worth £1 million annually to the exchequer.
So guess what this absurd apology for a government did? - It cut back on those people working at the sharp end and left the penpushers alone. As a consequence there was a sharp decrease in takings. I wonder if Brussels knows why they are getting less than they expected?
