UK government feels the heat on Cornish pasty tax

UK government feels the heat on Cornish pasty tax

Evidently a few items do not get sales taxed (at 20%) in the U.K.

But it looks like they are getting desperate and more than likely jealous
about a goodie called a "pasty".

I think a pasty is a bakery item.


By ROBERT BARR, Associated Press
March 28, 2012
CNS News

LONDON (AP) — The British government's intention to tax the humble Cornish pasty, a cheap pastry savory snack much beloved by workers and students, has opened a new front in the country's never-ending class war.

In his U.K. budget last week, Finance Minister George Osborne announced he would close a loophole which allowed some fresh-baked takeaway items — including pies, sausage rolls and pasties (PASS-tees) — to escape a 20 percent sales tax.

The move, however, has caused a media storm, with tabloid headlines portraying the new tax as an attack by the Conservative-led government on working class life...

Pasty Tax ?


I did not know The U.K. has a 20% sales tax !!!!

Can someone explain ??

Maybe it's a "value added tax" ?

We don't have a VAT in the U.S. (yet !)

VAT is sales tax. You have that and it varies by state, according to its population, if I recall correctly.

Our sales tax in Finland is 23%. Some items (God knows what) is taxed at 17% and our service tax just went up to 9%.

reply to post by xuenchen


I saw this on the news at my mum's house two days ago, and people are going APE about it. Apparently it's a case of making the poor poorer, by attacking the kind of cheap foods that the working/lower class people would go into a bakery and purchase.

Then of course, PM David Cameron said he loves pasties, stating that the last one he had was in an establishment (can't remember it's name) in Leeds, even though the one he mentioned has been closed for 5 years, effectively stating that he ate a pasty over 5 years ago

I miss sausage rolls! When I was in New Zealand, I got 2 for $3 and another dollar for a cup of tea. Id eat one for breakfast and one for a snack later....good times!

If they had added 20% on, Id be angry too..that would have taken it from 3, a good deal to 3.60, a "meh" deal. Bakeries have to be livid, it has to be costing them some livelihood if it takes effect.

ETA: Just based on my post, you can tell how this was a food item for people counting their coppers, as it were! So to attack the poor just plain sucks in my opinion. Just another example of how the governments work for the rich and tax the poor at a disproportionate rate.

reply to post by xuenchen


They are Taxing pasties!?

But pasties are my favorite non-taxed bakery product!

Those low life, greedy, pastry taxing scum......

Originally posted by TedHodgson

Those low life, greedy, pastry taxing scum......

You can insult me, push me down, and kick my dog, steal my land, but by god, if you tax my pasty IT IS GONNA GET ALL SORTS OF REAL UP IN HERE!

reply to post by aching_knuckles


I've never lol'ed so much in my life

Hot take away foods I think, the idiot opposition made it about pasties to make the moronic supporters get excited.

What makes it worse is, that they gave the richer a bit of a tax break while the people that are suffering more are getting taxed more. I don't think it's just because it's a pasty, I think adding to the fact they taxed pasties they also gave the richer members of society a bit of a break. which is crazy.

reply to post by moonrunner


Yeah, it's not just pasties. It's hot food in general I believe.

Sorry for the double post ladies and gents.

Originally posted by aching_knuckles

Originally posted by TedHodgson

Those low life, greedy, pastry taxing scum......

You can insult me, push me down, and kick my dog, steal my land, but by god, if you tax my pasty IT IS GONNA GET ALL SORTS OF REAL UP IN HERE!

edit on 31-3-2012 by aching_knuckles because: (no reason given)

so...you sound rather nuetral on the subject...20% sales tax? wow...out in california, USA, we have a state sales tax of close to10%...but not on groceries....sorry to hear this, it's starting to sound like it really sucks to live in england, what with this tax, and other taxes, no jobs, sucky weather, rampaging muslims, and paying for the olympics this summer...your wicket is getting really sticky.

reply to post by jimmyx


Yeah, it does suck to live in England. Cameron is a jobs worth, completely useless.

Oh no That evil government. I hope they don't start taxing pasties like that up here in pasty country. That would be grounds for revolution. Take our broccoli but leave our pasties and coffee alone.

Originally posted by David291
reply to post by jimmyx

 

Yeah, it does suck to live in England. Cameron is a jobs worth, completely useless.

well good luck to you...believe me, alot of people all across the western countries are having a hard time...you are not alone by any means

Originally posted by aching_knuckles

Originally posted by TedHodgson

Those low life, greedy, pastry taxing scum......

You can insult me, push me down, and kick my dog, steal my land, but by god, if you tax my pasty IT IS GONNA GET ALL SORTS OF REAL UP IN HERE!

edit on 31-3-2012 by aching_knuckles because: (no reason given)

quoted you both because you both said it all. I'm a working fella that loves a cheap pasty/sasuage roll/bacon cheese wrap and now they are attacking this?! wtf.

Slightly off topic but I also hear they are now clamping down on the scrapping of metal because people are abusing that. I weigh in copper every year, once a year. and again wtf?!

Next they will be pulling up outside my house to take the food from my kids mouth.

The UK sure is the country(I didn't wanna spell it that way) to be in

Its the pie that broke the chancellor of the exchequer and this governments back!!

Toff, inbred bastards

In the last two weeks we have had the "granny tax", lied to about fuel strike action, cash for meetings with the PM

And now the pasty tax

They are all gonna fkin pay!!

Originally posted by EvanB
Its the pie that broke the chancellor of the exchequer and this governments back!!

Toff, inbred bastards

In the last two weeks we have had the "granny tax", lied to about fuel strike action, cash for meetings with the PM

And now the pasty tax

They are all gonna fkin pay!!

edit on 31-3-2012 by EvanB because: (no reason given)

They will keep pushing and people will give and when I say that, I mean it will kick off big time.

This has angered me greatly.

reply to post by aching_knuckles


We'll just start a pasty Mafia and deal in affordable tax free pasties. We would have the biggest organized bootlegging operation ever seen here in the U.P.. We can expand into the hot dog and balogna market when they try to tax those and make Vollwerths the king of meats. We will soon expand and rule the world Yeah, right

I think this is because pie has non terminating (infinite) fractions.

Um, the "Pastie Tax" has been well known for a week now. What rock were you under?

"Pastie Tax" is just media spin, its actually a tax on all hot baked goods, and can be avoided by buying cold pasties and heating them youselves. Its not even a new tax, all they have done is ended the tax-exempt status on hot baked goods.

Basically this is because not all government ministers own a mansion with private learjet yet. Them mansions have to be paid for by the poor, somehow.