Now to me teacakes are currant buns that you toast and butter, like hot cross buns without the cross.
But apparantly they mean what I call marshmallows. Round chocolate covered things with biscuit at the bottom, marshmallow on the top and jam in a circle in the middle.
So a bit of good news for once.This is a delectable bit of ongoing international law, with the teacakes delicately balanced upon a fulcrum exactly halfway between cookie and candy. [is it a biscuit er innit?]
Fascinating. Of course, the Virginia way of solving such problems is reminiscent of Marie Antoinette's "let them eat cake..." Over here they tax the bejaybers out of all food items, and if a portion of the state's citizenry goes wanting, tough luck. ie All food is a luxury, according to us.I'd call it a biscuit rather than a cake, yes!
I haven't had one in ages, but when I was little they were a treat. First.... I'd nibble off the chocolate shell. Then suck the marshmallow off the biscuit base.... lick the jam off... then eat the biscuit.
There's a whole Wiki page devoted to 'chocolate covered marshmallow treats across the world'Teacakes were originally deemed to be biscuits which are not foods but confectionery which are liable to VAT. They are now cakes which are foods which are VAT free.
There are other VAT oddities. Eat in a restaurant and you pay VAT. Take exactly the same food home as a take-out and you pay no VAT.
Adults' clothing is VAT liable but children's clothing is not. Asy's assumption about all food being a luxury in the USA presumably applies to UK clothing if you are over 16 or a very large child. Small adults can save a fortune.Oh, so since your clothing is a luxury, you can appear in public, nekkid as a jaybird, and if anyone tries to arrest you, politely inform him that you consider clothing a luxury and simply cant afford such in the current economic climate. But wait until the summer before trying it, I guess, so you don't catch a chill. [heh]
And I see I got it wrong, both biscuits and confections are luxuries but cake is a staple?
Adults' clothing is VAT liable but children's clothing is not
This is handy for those of us with size 5 feet or under *smug* because we can buy boys' slippers in Woolworths for only £2.99. (The downside of this of course is going around for years with Spiderman plastered all over your feet.)
(Now I've discovered Lidl, most of my footwear comes from there instead.)Little Stand-Up-Back-Legses clothing is zero-rated for VAT.
Takeaway food is a bit difficult. Cold food is zero-rated, but hot food isn't - it standard-rated if designed to be eaten hot.
But school dinners for Little Stand-Up-Back-Legses is outside the scope of VAT, as they is incidental to the rich educational experience wot is every little Stand-Up-Back-Legses birthright in our fair and noble land.Further, your McDonald's high fat, high sugar milkshake is zero rated for VAT, but the much healthier fruit smoothie or juice is taxed. What does outside scope mean, they are not VATable ?
We now also have the not-quite-essential-enough-to-be-VAT-free-but-more-essential-than-full-VAT rate of 5%
Which includes domestic gas and electricity, car seats, women's sanitary protection, loft insulation, and turning big buildings into flats.
In the olden days before VAT in 1973 we had purchase tax and luxury tax and VAT was supposed to make it simpler, but it seems to be going back to subjective decisions on what is essential.
I think the government should give us all free teacakes/chocolate marshmallows for life to make up for the inconvenience of paying too much over the years."...going around for years with Spiderman plastered all over your feet"
That sounds familiar. My daughter is 5'3" and weighs-in at under 100 pounds. In order to get under-gotchies that stay up in a jog, she now possesses a wonderful drawer line-up featuring the Care Bears.
"... think the government should give us all free teacakes/chocolate marshmallows for life to make up for the inconvenience of paying too much over the years."
That's the spirit, Furb! Finally a world revolution we can all support.Next Page...
