To think the government should put VAT on cake

[72hoursinaande]

its a luxury to eat cake and would probably put more back into the coffers.
Slightly tongue in cheek but I thought mumsnet could use a different VAT debate.

I think the original idea was cake didn’t have VAT on it because you buy it from a bakery.

What about Mrs Crimbles coconut things

Cake, biscuit or neither?

Cake is not exactly a necessity is it. Would probably raise more money than the school fee thing too.

Totally agree. And that INCLUDES JAFFA CAKES FOR GOD’S SAKE.

That, alone, will fund a million new teachers and all sports clubs at state schools.

I agree, but I should be able to make my own cake: no tax on packets of sugar! Also, whoever suggested taxing all tinned goods is a monster. Beans on toast should never be taxed.

In my life it is absolutely a necessity

The law is clear now after a huge court case. They are zero rated.

The law determined they are cakes - imagine if after all the money they spent proving they were cakes they then had to pay vat on them anyway 🤣🤣🤣

VAT is not charged on biscuits unless they are wholly or partially covered in chocolate.

Oh I am in complete agreement although I often buy these items for teen as I know I won’t eat them

There’s no VAT on normal biscuits, only chocolate covered ones.

Does anyone know the situation with Tunnock's teacakes? They are completely covered in chocolate but have cake in the name.

I think we need an exemption for strawberry tarts or I, erm, <checks notes on complaining about politics> ...I will be forced to leave the country.

I was thinking they'll start to increase tax on people who have paid for private medical treatments soon...

There’s currently no VAT on caviar either. I can pop to Harrods, and pay no VAT on a £500 pot of caviar. However, I’d have to pay VAT if I popped to the supermarket and bought loo roll. There’s no VAT on flights, so I could pay thousands for a first class flight to Australia and pay no VAT, but I’d have to pay VAT on a bag of crisps at the airport. VAT has nothing to do with whether an item is a luxury.

In Wales they pay more VAT than income tax and for hundreds of thousands of people it is the single biggest tax they pay.

Because I'm a pathetic loser, I wrote an essay on this for my law degree 100 years ago. I think cake and biscuits should both be vatable, and none of this chocolate on top/sandwich nonsense. The whole vat system is silly and too complicated. It would also raise a lot of money.

This comments wins

I hate to break it to you @72hoursinaande but there is already vat on cake when sold in a cafe/coffee shop/restaurant to eat in!

Just as long as they don't tax mince pies. That would be a tragedy.

It's very clear - they go hard when stale so cakes. They're little cakes that live in the biscuit isle. Biscuit disguised cakes of deliciousness.

Biscuits go soft when stale

Sure, do it. And then maybe a sugar tax too. Better for everyone probably.

This has been decided in court, and they are legally chocolate covered cakes. So, no VAT.

I'm assuming the cake in the house of commons will be vat free

No. It’s very clear. They made a full sized one for the court case. It’s a cake, made in the same way and same ingredients as a cake.