New Delivery Tax

[DarkStarGames]

The newpapers today are reporting that the chancellor is likely to bring in a tax on "home deliveries" in the budget.

Can I suggest that if such a tax is brought in there is an option in BP to split that out in the checkout/invoice in the same way as VAT? That way rather than just making our delivery charge look even more expensive, our delivery charge stays the same and the extra line highlights that it's a government imposed tax on the customer...

[cheesemouse]

What a stupid idea! Like taxing people more if they work from home! Another unworkable idea from the morons in charge.

How would that work if delivery is free?

[DarkStarGames]

What a stupid idea! Like taxing people more if they work from home! Another unworkable idea from the morons in charge.

How would that work if delivery is free?

Right, just as many of the small high street shops have spent money going online so they can still make a living while their shops are closed...

I assume they'll tax the delivery companies... so our costs will go up.

[Neil]

Can I suggest that if such a tax is brought in there is an option in BP to split that out in the checkout/invoice in the same way as VAT? That way rather than just making our delivery charge look even more expensive, our delivery charge stays the same and the extra line highlights that it's a government imposed tax on the customer...

I have to agree with the separation out idea.

i do agree with the online tax idea though... although i'd rather it was a % of sales value.

[DarkStarGames]

i do agree with the online tax idea though... although i'd rather it was a % of sales value.

I'd prefer one that was based on turnover - perhaps a special VAT rate for online retailers with sales over £50m or something... the newpaperssaid they were just suggestions at this point, perhaps they're just putting it out there to see if they get any grief for it. He seems determined to do something​ about online though, so I expect we'll get it one way or the other...

[niche]

Its not a great way to support small high street retail in my view, we have a shop and our online sales supports our bricks and mortar shop, with more costs online for a small business it will just put more pressure on the bricks and mortar shop. Hopefully it will be for bigger businesses but I can't see how that will work. I thought it was going to be on the actual parcels and what we pay for the parcel delivery. Otherwise what about the collect from shop online orders etc. I guess we will see soon.

[cheesemouse]

If they made the likes of Amazon, FB et al pay their fair dues, none of these hair-brained schemes would be necessary.

How would this work? To be a "delivery tax" - would it include letters? How would it be policed, especially as 95% of businesses in the UK are sole traders or partnerships, most of which do not turn over enough to be VAT registered.

Frankly, it just is not realistic.

The only way I could see it actually being applied successfully is having the delivery companies collect this tax. Which means everyone who sends parcels and letters will be made to pay it. Royal Mail have put their prices up 4 times in the past year, something like this would probably be the final nail in their coffin.

And as always with these schemes they fall heaviest on the lowest earners and small businesses.

I'll say it again, a better solution is to make big business pay their fair dues.

[DarkStarGames]

Most likely they'd put the tax on the delivery companies... let's hope that idea gets squashed. Only a few days to wait.