Kitchen installer - price ex VAT

My kitchen installer verbally quoted €1,200 for installing a kitchen. Now it's installed he has said that was Ex Vat. Is this a bit rich or am I just naive?

Edit: sorry found a previous post similar to this but it really only touched on displayed prices as opposed to verbally quoted prices as does the consumer website - but i presume the logic still applies?

Unless you are a business theres no valid reason to quote you ex vat prices in my opinion.
If you shook hands on €1,200 for your home kitchen than thats all you have to pay and paying the VAT is his problem as he owes this to the revenue and you dont.

His quote should have included VAT as you are an end of line client and not a builder. If you ask me his problem not yours. He shouldnt be quoting ex vat to ordinary people as it dosnt concern them.

but the quote being verbal leaves it a bit hard to prove though....

all you can do is take it up with him. to be honest €1200 for a fitting sounds very expensive for a fit only price, is it a big kitchen

nope, small panelling centre kitchen. so including vat was sort of acceptable - think is he made a few mistakes during the fitting of the kitchen which he had to rectify so I am suspicious that he is now trying to sneakily recoup some costs

Cash and Carry charge up to around €600 for a standard kitchen. i think you need to hold tight

He can choose to do the job for cash and that way won't have to pay the vat.

Most tradesmen will accept or even look for cash, think you are right he is chancing his arm - hold tough...

just remember if you find anything worng and you paid cash you have no comeback

If he is asking to be paid in cash and is not issuing a receipt then most likely he's going to pocket the extra cash. If this is the case ask him for a receipt and that you want to pay by cheque made out to his company only. This would force him to run it through his books so the tax you paid will be paid on to the government.

If he is issuing a receipt for the work and is willing to take a cheque in his company name then it is above board. Though he should have made that clear at the start. You can then take this with the company themselves.

If he is trying to pull a fast one then chances are that if you ask for a receipt and that you want to pay by cheque made out to the company name he'll settle for €1200.

Get a friend to call him/the company enquiring about the cost of fitting a kitchen. Obviously ask if the price includes VAT.