• The post you are reporting:
   
  I think we mentioned on another thread how tax is affecting spend and growth, items particularly affected by taxes are beer and fags. Latest figures on beer sales show a considerable fall for the three months to June, in comparison to the same period last year. Sales are down 10%. Quite a fall.
  
  These are general beer sales...not just affecting pubs but supermarkets too. The fall comes right across the board.
  
  In three years the tax on beer has risen by 35%. I myself dont see how any business can sustain that level of taxation and still thrive. We will probably see job losses.. unless well known local forumite consumers can up their intake!! Despite a Royal Wedding as a boost to consumption and warm spring weather beer sales still experienced the aforementioned fall. All is doom for the beer business.
  
  Ed Balls said today that the VAT at 20% is also to blame, its an economic recovery killer..we have seen the abysmal growth figures spun very well by George Osborne on the lunchtime news but how can anyone spin a dismal 0.2% growth as anything other than dismal. Even the much maligned Eurozone is way ahead of this.
  
  Balls feels the 20% vat has stopped people spending and has called for a reduction in the level.

Report Post

Your Name

Reason