to think there should not be VAT on fruit juice?

[Talkinpeace]

Just binning a supermarket till receipt when I noticed that in my big weekly shop, the things that had VAT on were:

• toiletries
• booze
• fresh squeezed orange juice

all the rest of my food was zero rated

why is Orange juice deemed a 'luxury item' : if it was 17% cheaper (with no VAT on it) then more people would get their five a day.

From the point of view of no vat would make it easier for people to get their 5 a day you are wrong BUT as tinned fruit seems to offend you so much I conceed that it should be treated equal to fruit juice in being a not particularly healthy option.

Fruit juice is also bad for your liver not just your teeth.

Blankie - vat is charged at 5 percent on sanitary products, not the norm rate.

Peronally I think sanitary products should be VAT free. Does anyone know why they arent?

talkinpeace OP is an accountant.... So am I, hence the explanation

Because its not very healthy as devoid of fibre, and full of (fruit) sugar. Best to avoid altogether.

Juicing oranges makes them a luxury item? So anything not in its original state should be a luxury item? That would include most items in the shop not found in either the produce section or the butcher counter.

Soups and yoghurt are not beverages, they are food.

Any system that decides cake is not a luxury is fine by me

Dividing foods into "healthy" and "unhealthy" is oversimplistic.

I agree that there should be no VAT at all on sanitary products.

Is there VAT on fizzy drinks, cordials, tea and coffee?

Tea and coffee are zero. Fizzy an cordial are zero standard rate