[Secret_squirrel]

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/mar/22/bike-poland-brexit-customs-duty-vat

Buyer gets stung for £1000 more in VAT on bike.

I think there are some essentials of the story missing – presumably this was full of non-EU kit – hence the double sting.

Topic

[David9694]

I was irked by the “little

I was irked by the “little rash” comment – would it have been made if it had been a £50,000 car from Poland? 

 

 

[EddyBerckx]

Simon E wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

Clown? That’s a bit harsh as he couldn’t find it in stock anywhere else.

I could think of other words.

He didn’t have to buy it. He didn’t have to buy it on 28 December. And he didn’t have to buy that particularly model from a shop in Poland when the UK is about to leave the EU and the potential problems with cross-channel trade are all over the news.

Seems perilously close to ‘asking for trouble’ in my view. But I don’t have £6,000 burning a hole in my pocket.

And don’t forget that VAT helps pay for important things like the NHS, roads and schools; not just being dodgy (and illegal) contracts to Matt Halfcock’s friends or spaffed on a briefing room at No. 10.

He obviously believed he had beaten the deadline by ordering/paying for it in advance?

 

[Simon E]

hawkinspeter wrote:

Clown? That’s a bit harsh as he couldn’t find it in stock anywhere else.

I could think of other words.

He didn’t have to buy it. He didn’t have to buy it on 28 December. And he didn’t have to buy that particularly model from a shop in Poland when the UK is about to leave the EU and the potential problems with cross-channel trade are all over the news.

Seems perilously close to ‘asking for trouble’ in my view. But I don’t have £6,000 burning a hole in my pocket.

And don’t forget that VAT helps pay for important things like the NHS, roads and schools; not just being dodgy (and illegal) contracts to Matt Halfcock’s friends or spaffed on a briefing room at No. 10.

[hawkinspeter]

Clown? That’s a bit harsh as

Clown? That’s a bit harsh as he couldn’t find it in stock anywhere else.

As far as expensive toys go, I’d be much happier if people bought expensive bikes rather than status-symbol cars that are significantly more expensive and don’t provide health benefits (quite the opposite in fact).

And yes, sanitary products should be front of the queue for zero-vat rating. If you can afford to spend £5000 on a bike, then I’m sure you can afford to spend £6000 without affecting your quality of life but that doesn’t mean he has to be happy about it.

[Simon E]

hawkinspeter wrote:

Ouch.

£1000 VAT doesn’t sound too bad, though I’d love to see bikes and bike parts be VAT free to encourage active travel but that’s probably a step too far for the UK.

More importantly, what was the £5000 bike?

The brand isn’t mentioned in the article.

3 days before leaving the EU and during a pandemic with port queues all over the headlines and this clown decides that’s the time to order an expensive toy that will have to be shipped from Poland. Blessed with more money than sense, I’d suggest.

I think removing VAT from £5,000 bikes is an absolute no-no, people buying those surely don’t need any extra incentive! Better to do it for inexpensive town bikes and hybrids.  But it has been inordinately difficult just to get VAT removed from Women’s sanitary products (not exactly a luxury item) I wouldn’t hold out much hope.

[Tom_77]

Quote:

In hindsight, it was perhaps a little rash spending £5,000 on a bike three days before the Brexit deadline.

Bit of an understatement.

[hawkinspeter]

Ouch.

Ouch.

£1000 VAT doesn’t sound too bad, though I’d love to see bikes and bike parts be VAT free to encourage active travel but that’s probably a step too far for the UK.

More importantly, what was the £5000 bike?

[Author]

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