One rate of VAT?

Shawady

Registered User
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Does anyone know why we have two VAT rates?
Would it make more sense just to one common rate of say 15 or 16%?
 
We actually have 4 rates (ignoring zero rating & other EU issues ) :-

0% , 5.2% 13.5% and 21.5%, the goods and services at each are covered in Revenue's Guide to Value Added Tax.

The so-called "luxury goods" and certain professional services traditionally attracted the higher rates. A lot of staple foodstuffs attract 0% . Historically the reason may have been to relieve the basics/essentials and tax the luxury items. However over the years this has muddied quite a bit.

There was a situation many years ago where electrical items such as fridges attracted what was then the higher 35% rate but televisions attracted the lower 23% rate. Someone obviously believed that a TV was more of an essential than a fridge. :rolleyes:
 
If you buy a sandwich and a cup of coffee to take away from a Mace Supermarket can they charge you 21% vat?
 
21.5% would not apply however depending on the way the sale is managed could be 0% or 13.5%. There are also rules on items supplied for an inclusive or meal deal price. The Revenue guide on this is here . Hot or cold can have a bearing on the rate of VAT chargeable. I do not see that a sandwich (hot or cold) and a coffee should be 21.5%. The most should be 13.5%.

A cold sandwich sold in a supermarket for take away would be 0%.
A coffee would be 13.5% ( as it is hot )
A cold sandwich and a coffee sold for an inclusive price would be 13.5% for the lot.
A cold sandwich and a milk would be both 0%
A hot breakfast roll and a tea would both be 13.5%
Ice cream sold as part of a meal in a restaurant would be 13.5% but sold to take away in a shop would be 21.5%.
 
Under a European directive, we've committed to (basically) four different rates, and we're only allowed to move the rates within narrow ranges.
 
Hi,
The rate of VAT on Agri Produce and Livestock is 4.8%. The rate of 5.2% is the flat rate addition payable to unregistered farmers to compensate them for the VAT that they do not recover VAT.
A Flat rate farmer who sells an animal for €100 will get an extra €5.20 VAT which he is not obliged to pay over to the Collector General. A registered Farmer gets paid €104.80, €4.80 of which he has to pay over to the Collector General.
 
Hi,
The rate of VAT on Agri Produce and Livestock is 4.8%. The rate of 5.2% is the flat rate addition payable to unregistered farmers to compensate them for the VAT that they do not recover VAT.
A Flat rate farmer who sells an animal for €100 will get an extra €5.20 VAT which he is not obliged to pay over to the Collector General. A registered Farmer gets paid €104.80, €4.80 of which he has to pay over to the Collector General.

Thanks for clarifying that, my head was on one track not the other. :eek:
 
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