VAT on food

[agadele]

i was in the hilton hotel recently meeting a friend, where we had lunch.I paid the bill and at the total they had VAT added?I thought there was no VAT on food, so was that for the use of their surroundings? I thought it was a bit naff that there menu price didnt include this and it was added on afterwards.
just thought Id share it

 

[Nige]

There is Vat on meals you eat out, but not on many (though not all) of your groceries eg fresh fruit, meat, bread are 0% VAT.

All menus in Ireland should show the VAT inclusive price, but some receipts then split this price between the Vat exclusive and VAt amounts.

 

[demoivre]

i was in the hilton hotel recently meeting a friend, where we had lunch.I paid the bill and at the total they had VAT added?I thought there was no VAT on food,

Here's some [broken link removed].

 

[ubiquitous]

I thought it was a bit naff that there menu price didnt include this and it was added on afterwards.

This couldn't be true? Surely no hotel could get away with this sort of thing nowadays. Are you sure?

 

[ClubMan]

i was in the hilton hotel recently meeting a friend, where we had lunch.I paid the bill and at the total they had VAT added?

Presumably you mean in Ireland and not, say, in the US where they add sales tax on top of the "net" bill total?

 

[Caveat]

Presumably you mean in Ireland and not, say, in the US where they add sales tax on top of the "net" bill total?

I also remember Scotland having a similar practice that seemed unusual to me.

 

[ClubMan]

Are you also sure that it was not a service charge on top of the bill?

 

[agadele]

Hi all

it was here in Limerick. Ok, I found the receipt.It says:

2 Chowder -15.90
1 Smoothie - 4.85
1 Cappucino - 3.60

CASH 50.00
0.84 VAT 21% 4.85
2.32 VAT 13.5% 19.50

Food 24.35

I suppose its just unusal seeing the VAT written like that on a cafe receipt.

 

[Caveat]

Are you also sure that it was not a service charge on top of the bill?

Doubt it - I saw it on a McDonald's receipt too.

Edit: Sorry, on second thoughts maybe CM's comment wasn't directed at me!

 

[Flymask]

This is just part of the restaurant's accounting system and it's pretty common to see it on receipts/invoices. Restaurant sales generally have to be split between items that are liable for VAT at 13.5% and those liable for VAT at 21% (most noticeably on wine/drinks).

In your example, the VAT was not - as your original post implied - added on afterwards (the menu prices included the VAT). The figures shown above are just a breakdown of the total bill between the two VAT categories.

 

[ubiquitous]

Restaurant sales generally have to be split between items that are liable for VAT at 13.5% and those liable for VAT at 21% (most noticeably on wine/drinks).

This is done on the insistence of the Revenue VAT authorities. Helps them to track collection of full 21% VAT on drinks etc when included with other elements of a meal.