Hoping for a rise in VAT on items costing 500+ pounds RRP

[DistinguishedSocialCommenator]

I was positing on another thread and came up with a way we in England and Wales could raise billions in tax revenue every years that could fund a better NHS HC and educating people for better HS etc, etc and better schools.

I would propose (Someone will now actually use this idea)
Raise VAT to 30% on every item that costs more than 500 pounds RRP to 30% and use the money towards NHS and education re better health for all. (Most washing machines, driers, fridges, tv's, sofas, beds, clothing, food, and eating out cost m a lot less that 500. A bit like the new tax that was introduced many years ago on cars costing RRP 40k plus

We've boguth cars easily surpassing the 40k mark, though the extra road tax hurts, we have a choice if to buy or not or buy a cheaper brand new car or a used car. Therefore, IMO, the above is a good idea and we can be flexible with the exact figures of extra vAT kicks in at xxx - RRP and the new could be slightly higher or lower.

AIBU as this will help all of us.

The price with this is that the money raider will be used for tax breaks on the rich, not the NHS

How about stop squeezing Joe Public and focus on the tax breaks and favours for the rich inner circles.

Why should the common man be squeezed again?

The NHS gets billions. The problem is that it is really badly managed and most of that money is wasted. It needs to be massively reformed. Throwing more money at the NHS is not going to solve the problem.

Terrible idea. I save up and buy Miele appliances they cost more than 500 quid. I'd rather something last years over something that needs replacing every 2 to 3 years at a cheaper price.

VAT was originally introduced to just be in luxury items and still should be.

Private schools, expensive cars, jewellery etc. Things that nobody needs.

1. where are you finding sofas under £500? even Ikea sofas are mostly over £500 (not all but most).
2. that's mainly a tax on the middle class who are already being squeezed more than anything
3. The NHS has more funding than most other health services in the world. it's just incredibly badly run - throwing additional money at it won't help at all
4. you'll be encouraging people to buy cheaper versions of things which will end up breaking quicker and create more waste

Awa bile yer heid min.

It will only encourage people to buy cheap stuff that will end up in the landfill within a year or two.

Handbags yes. Washing machines no.

No.

The NHS is underfunded as a percentage of GDP compared to most comparable countries. we tend to spend a third less than other European health care systems per person. Saying the NHS has plenty of money is a myth.

https://www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/charts-and-infographics/how-does-uk-health-spending-compare-across-europe-over-the-past-decade

https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/myth-1-we-already-spend-too-much-on-health-and-our-outcomes-are-poor

Terrible idea unless it’s only on actual luxuries. VAT is generally regarded as a very regressive tax. Much better to increase capital gains taxes, introduce wealth taxes/land value tax etc.

I'm not sure this would be very environmentally friendly, it may well encourage the making of cheaper, disposable versions of things.

Thank you

I live i a real world where disgusting politics comes first and the ordinary people last

What you are suggesting is happening EG, oil producers but more need to be done, pushed too far like our Labour friends did years ago, the rich and companies will leave England

My proposal will impact me and my family as the last tv we bought last year was close to 3k - the car we bought a couple of years ago cost well in excess of 40k

The sofas we bought, ie 3 x 4 seaters cost over 2k each - the washig machine we bought about 3 years ago cost 800 but there were many below 500, etc etc

The VAT to brand new items. However, the exmaple I gave of the car tax, extra tax is road tax on cars new costing 40k+ RRP and you pay it for 5 years

My proposal is not set in stone and the new VAT could be less and the miimum item price where the higher VAT kicks in could be played around with

My proposal does not impact those on low wages or mid wages, unemployed or even the rich for that matter, as you have a choice.

However, the minimum price will need adjusting every year or two, other like cars, most cars of mid size are 40k plus

The money needs to be spent well, EG, Education, NHS, our roads. Not thrown away on useless, aircraft carriers, flying the flag in far away countries tryign to be a world leader when we are not.

Importantly, we need people to spend the money wisely unlike the Tories and the Labour lot that will always have their own agenda to get into number 10.

I am relatively sure the media and the politicians will air my idea as their own

I don't think that's a great idea OP.

First off, the NHS will never function properly, no matter how much money you throw at it. The idea of infinitely free medical care, for life, for everyone, is just a ridiculous premise.

Also there would be unintended consequences, with people deliberately choosing to buy cheap crap, that just ends up being dumped in order to avoid paying the extra tax.

There is plenty of money in the country to fund services, it's just being spent in the wrong areas.

150 billion and counting on giant a train set, just to cut (wait for it) 20 minutes off a journey between Manchester and London.

7 billion on "Aid", when WE arw the ones with food banks on street corners.

Billions of pounds on a massive Aircraft Carrier which has no planes and keeps breaking down.

Stammerer wants to spend 28 BILLION a year of "green schemes"!

Hundreds of billions on an army that can't fight, a Navy that can't sail, an Airforce that can't fly. It's a disgrace.

Local councils wasting millions on LTN's and cycle routes when nobody has the slightest interest or intention to cycle anywhere.

We are not short of money.

We just allow politicians and local councils to lie to us about where they spend it.

And like the 40k car rule the amount presumably will not go up with inflation. So as of now it might impact day 70% of new sofas, come 2030 it’ll be 85% of new sofas.

NB on the car thing you said We've boguth cars easily surpassing the 40k mark, though the extra road tax hurts, we have a choice if to buy or not or buy a cheaper brand new car or a used car.
You still have to pay it for a used car that costs less than 40k when you buy it if the value was 40k at purchase, so buying a 4 year old car for 28k doesn’t actually exempt you from this extra tax either.

And I don’t know what percentage of cars were over 40k when they introduced it but if will be higher now and still higher in 5/10/15 years.

Fundamentally I don’t trust the government (under any party) not to sell us extra tax policies as somehow only hitting the minority and the richest and not adjusting by inflation to catch more and more people in the net.

Lol it certainly wouldn't be a party I'd vote for. Your "brilliant " idea is a bit rubbish.

And it’s a great idea to make it harder for people to pay car repairs (often over £500) and buy new boilers because theirs is knackered or make general house repairs. Building work is expensive enough as it is but let’s make it worse.

Throwing more money at things doesn't always fix things. There are fundamental issues with the education system and the NHS and yes whilst these will take money to fix, money is not the root cause imo

It would cripple small businesses

The NHS gets enough, what’s needed is a bottom up review, waste stripped out, pay increases to nurses and doctors, reduction in nonsensical jobs and management, and a streamlined records system that can be accessed b6 any doctor or nurse in the country to get full medical history

then let’s add in getting money back from those holiday residents that need to pay, and if that means credit card out before treatment so be it

Procurement needs to be centralised, with better deals arranged than now

Trusts need to work the same

we don’t need to pay more, we need someone to sort the nhs

@DistinguishedSocialCommenator

My proposal does not impact those on low wages or mid wages, unemployed or even the rich for that matter, as you have a choice

this sentence alone shows you don’t understand, of course it impacts them, or are you saying they are not allowed furniture, TVs, houses, cars, holidays and the rest?

your idea is not a good one

That's a real vote winner !.