VAT about to be dropped in UK & NI

DonJose

witnessmenow wrote: »

EG my Aunt and Uncle went up yesterday and spent €600, thats €600 has left the Irish economy, now you might argue that its people like them that are helping kill the economy but they reckon what they got would cost around €1000 down here, its tough to come up with a argument against that

I'm in the same boat, I have never bothered going to the north, but since the recent budget I've been 3 times and I'm going again on Wednesday to buy Christmas presents, we haven't shopped locally in Tesco or Dunnes in over 4 weeks. If we any anything locally we buy it in Aldi or Lidl. The savings up north are just too much to pass on.

Arciphel

I'm gonna head up this week when I get my chrimbo pay-packet to buy presents...

However I saw this on breakingnews.ie just now, very interesting!

"24/11/2008 - 11:14:51
Environment Minister John Gormley says the Government will have to look at ways of stemming the flow of shoppers from the Republic to the North.

Mr Gormley was speaking amid speculation that the British government is set to cut VAT rates by 2.5 percentage points as part of an economic stimulus package.

The move could exacerbate the existing price differences that are prompting many consumers from the Republic to travel north of the border when shopping.

Speaking to reporters in Dublin today, the minister said it was important for Ireland the UK to ensure their actions are "in sync" to ensure neither gains a competitive advantage."

I can just see the FCA being mobilised to patrol the Border now, "Shoot on sight if you see an Sainsbury's shopping bag lads!"

seamus

EU rules prevent them from putting levies or restrictions on people bringing in purchases from other EU countries. Only certain items have specific restrictions on them - cigs and booze mainly - but everything else is fair game. Buy 500 Xboxes if you like, but only for personal use.

They may though be looking to catch people going north to stock up on fags and booze.

Del2005

seamus wrote: »

EU rules prevent them from putting levies or restrictions on people bringing in purchases from other EU countries. Only certain items have specific restrictions on them - cigs and booze mainly - but everything else is fair game. Buy 500 Xboxes if you like, but only for personal use.

They may though be looking to catch people going north to stock up on fags and booze.

Aren't cigs and booze affectivly unrestricted now thanks to Her Majesties Customs over enthusiastic confiscation of vehicles? They now have to prove that you are going to sell them on as opposed to you having to prove you're not.

cfriel2002

Hello people, a 2-3% variation in VAT rates is not the issue, retailers holding an extra 20% in margin is.

Tony

cfriel2002 wrote: »

Hello people, a 2-3% variation in VAT rates is not the issue, retailers holding an extra 20% in margin is.

For retailers who do not hold an extra 20%, VAT is very much an issue. If we had the same VAT rate as NI then there would be very few excuses left for charging more. We are not taliking about 2 to 3%, it will be 6.5% by the end of the week.

snubbleste

Dyflin wrote: »

Considering the extensive NI thread and the online purchases from the UK, I think it's worthwhile information.

But feel free to complain to the mods if you wish...

Saving 25p on a £10 purchase, if the retailers pass it on, is not a bargain alert.
It should be in the economics, politics or at best consumer issues forum.

Tabnabs

snubbleste wrote: »

Saving 25p on a £10 purchase, if the retailers pass it on, is not a bargain alert.
It should be in the economics, politics or at best consumer issues forum.

Not everyone's as stingy as you, some spend more than a tenner in one go! :eek:

(As I said, complain to the mods if it hurts your eyes that much...)

paddy316i

I was in Enniskillen at the weekend. Savings to be made but wouldn't pay to drive all the way up just to do the grocery shopping. But if you were up there anyway then it is defiantly worth going to ASDA to do a shop. Spirts are super cheap along with toiletries .

Kashkai

My wife is keen to go up north for her christmas shopping but I don't think its worth the time, effort or money when you factor in a day off work, the petrol to and from the north etc.

And I'm not a sucker who pays through the nose here, I prefer to do my shopping over the net, e.g. Richersounds in Belfast saved me a packet on a new tv and home theatre system and they delivered it to my door for £20, AND I didn't have to take time off work, drive up north, sit in traffic, try to find parking, wander around packed shops with the missus, lug the shopping back to the car and drive home.

The net is the only way to shop

Dutch_Druid

VAT dropping from 2.5% is not a significant drop at all, but it does inspire customer confidence, which is a lot better than raising the VAT (in a patriotic move I'm sure, but notheless:rolleyes:)


If something cost £100.00 before
(meaning £82.64 plus 21% VAT)
It'll cost £97.10 now
(£82.64 plus 17.5% VAT)

It's a saving of only £17.36, not £25.00 that everybody's lead to believe

Tony

Dutch_Druid wrote: »

which is a lot better than raising the VAT (in a patriotic move I'm sure, but notheless:rolleyes:)

I would contend that raising VAT is unpatriotic, will lead to less VAT being collected and therefore monumenatally stupid on the part of the Minister.

Dutch_Druid

Tony wrote: »

I would contend that raising VAT is unpatriotic, will lead to less VAT being collected and therefore monumenatally stupid on the part of the Minister.

Sarcasm, my friend, sarcasm.

Tony

Dutch_Druid wrote: »

Sarcasm, my friend, sarcasm.

I am not being sarcastic and I do not know what would lead you to believe that. I'm agreeing with your view, perhaps I'm not well up on smileys?

Dutch_Druid

Sorry mate, meant that I was being sarcastic when I mentioned our government's "patriotic" move to raise the tax, no slight to you intended

Fidelis

I see people in this thread saying that they wouldn't go to the North to do their grocery shopping. People don't travel from Dublin to Newry or wherever to do a weeks worth of shopping in order to save €100. They go up and buy a months grocery shopping and save €400. If a €400 saving means nothing to you, then you're browsing the wrong forum. The 3hr road journey is negated by the fact that they don't need to go to their local Dunnes or Tesco for an hour every week.

Tony

Dutch_Druid wrote: »

Sorry mate, meant that I was being sarcastic when I mentioned our government's "patriotic" move to raise the tax, no slight to you intended

No problem at all