Yeah, right. Where to, exactly?

I'd rather be inside the tent pissing out.

The root causes of our current mess can be taken right back to the end of World War 2. It's not just this government, or that government, or the one before the one before that. It's the system that's broken, but those in charge of the system don't want to fix it because it's in their own interests to keep the status quo.

The only ones who suffer are those at the bottom of the heap. We keep on having to pay out, but we get little in return. Where's the justification in cutting spending, which will close libraries, care homes, gawd knows what else, when the real solution comes in taking a bit more fat off those at the top of the heap?

I don't want to get into this argument - not because I don't think it's important, but because I don't have the solutions. I'm just parroting those of organisations like UKuncut and 38 Degrees. They're trying to make us see there are better ways of dealing with the financial crisis if only we can get those in power to see.

You see, I don't mind doing my bit to help out my country. I do mind being asked to bail out banks who then go on as if nothing at all happened. That's neither fair nor just. The system is broken, but we can't fix it without getting those that actually helped to break it to see sense.

There was a scheme used in some US states that taxes companies on their world wide earnings. So that if they moved offshore or used tax avoidance schemes they still got hit for taxes. The end result they saved nothing.

I would be interested to see if it worked if the Co's set up local shell companies that had no legal link with the parent Co

I'm bothered, I literally watched the price of the graphics card I ordered go up by £3 odd as I was ordering it last night.

2.5% increase in VAT relates, in real world terms, to a 10% increase in prices ...

Wow somebody woke up on the constructive side of the bed.

Not sure how leaving and taking our money to another country would help the UK economy...


Nobody is on about delaying it too long but you have to cut at the right time in the right places to the right degree.

The thing is the banks, who were primarily to blame for several different reasons (not just handing out money to individuals who couldn't afford it, there's far more to it if you look into it), are continuing to do the same thing that got us in this mess in the first place.

They need to pay up and sort themselves out, it's happening all over again and we're mugs for dealing with it and being walked all over.

Petrol's going to hurt, but apart from that I think I'll notice little difference.


I got in there and got my HD6850 with half an hour to spare - wow, £3 odd in my pocket!

It's not just that £3... it's the "nickel and dimeing" of it. It's on pretty much everything.

Whatever you spend, it's like having to pay for an extra 10 days in the year. If you're feeling the pinch by pay day, you'll be feeling it a day early...

I'm lucky right now, I can afford it. However, we just lost a couple of big clients who went under and a meeting tomorrow determines a huge chunk of our future...

+1. I for one am reeling in my expenditure now, though partly this is to help fund a deposit for the house.


+1. But it's probably easier just to impose taxes on the little people rather than go after the big players.


Should have ordered it earlier. I had to buy something online and although the tax hiked the price up, it was still cheaper than if I'd gone to the shops a few days earlier.


I did not know that!

Then they would not control them and would not be entitled to dividends or payments except for goods and services provided.

How is it that 2.5% VAT increase mean a 10% price increase?

Here's some approximate calculations (with some minor rounding up/down):
£85.50 + 17.5% = 85.50 + 15 = £100
£85.50 + 20% = 85.50 + 17 = £102.50

That makes sense to me, but I may be missing something?

2.5% price increase
2.5% (min) fuel increase will increase prices again
cost of all other services raised by 2.5%
business adding 2.5% to the bottom line because of the VAT increase
(business cant look a gift horse in the mouth)

increase in the cost of goods 10% ...

Erm...

£100 * 120% / 117.5% = £102.13

A 2.5% increase in tax should only produce a 2.1% increase. But as MSR points out, it doesn't work like that.

Many companies are also increasing their margins as well, hoping that the public will not notice with the already known VAT increase.

Don't buy any more chocolate bars, as the companies are putting the prices up whilst at the same time reducing the size of the bars.

Mark