Vat

[Lazzo]

Faaaaaantastic! Just what we all need - VAT on digital services from July 1. This'll kill off a new client and probably kybosh some of my future income.

Typical, today is the first I've heard about it. Now I know why an established client has put their web site to sleepy-bye. So that makes two that'll go back to selling the old-fashioned way.

VAT always was a stealth tax, now the EU wants to strangle investment in the net because they've discovered they're missing out somewhere. Having taken five years to figure it out, suddenly it's a sledgehammer right between the eyes.

The American Government have a moratorium on this until 2004, so they will now think that the EU's having a go at them and start making intercontinental trade next to impossible.

Great.

[uoba]

I glanced upon this on theregister.co.uk but didn't look into it... funnily enough, guess what I'm sitting here doing today... my VAT return!

Should I be worried (suppose I better ho and read it!)

[Giaguara]

if your clients are in other states (e.g. france, or outside the EU) do you still have to pay the VAT in EU? :-/

[Lazzo]

Any of us who produce documents for web distribution and get paid for it should read up. I'll have to get someone to break it down into Plain English though!

Giaguara, my motto: if in doubt, pay up - at least after the Gov have made their 30 billion interest on our money, we get our piddlin' little bit of it back.

Any road up, the best bet is to consult an accountant.

What I never liked is the 'stealth' bit. Maybe schoolchildren need to be VAT registered, every time they buy a 30p Mars bar, 5.25p is Gov money, no return.

[uoba]

And the amount of money kids seem to have these days, they must be above the threshold anyway!

[chevy]

Where is the original article ?

[Lazzo]

Here's one of the pages, unfortunately I neglected to take notes of the other links I found.

http://uk.srd.yahoo.com/S=11111254:W...8?opendocument

[chevy]

Thanks