VAT on bike lights.. why??

Just noticed on an invoice..
You’d have thought compulsory safety equipment like lights would be exempt.

Lights for helicopters and private jets are probably VAT free.

It’s just a torch.

You’d have thought compulsory safety equipment like lights would be exempt.

You could apply the same principle to car tyres/lights and brakes.

You could apply the same principle to car tyres/lights and brakes.

or even cars or fuel on that basis

Personal transport is presumably deemed luxury rather than a necessity

You can extend the logic to a vast range of things. Medicines for example. Equally you might ask why cakes don’t carry vat, but bicycles do! In reality I suspect the actual sales price of a light is only loosely connected to its cost, and therefore even if vat was abolished it would make no difference to the amount you pay!

Because EU law requires it, irrespective of the wishes of a national government or its voters.

The reason you don’t pay VAT in the UK on things such as food is for historical reasons, EU policy is to aim for VAT on all goods and services. More recent EU members such as Poland are forced to charge VAT on food although they are permitted to do it at a reduced rate.

If you are unhappy with paying VAT on bike lights I suggest get in touch with your MEP, perhaps they will be able to raise it at the European Parliament, that democratic institution which meets somewhere in Europe and rubber-stamps directives telling member states what they are allowed and not allowed to do. Good luck with that.

Because they are not PPE.

You want to save money they buy cheap lights that are adequate to be seen on the road. Then the VAT will by very small.