Christmas is a time of giving, but few families appreciate how much they are being forced to give to the taxman. Virtually all Christmas purchases, from iPhones to crackers, are subject to VAT, and granny’s sherry attracts excise duty on top, not forgetting the fuel tax levied on journeys to see family and friends. New calculations by the TaxPayers' Alliance reveal the startling size of the family Christmas tax bill:
This Christmas, British families will pay an average £225 tax on their festive spending, equal to 600 Tesco Finest mince pies as well as 15 bottles of Harvey’s Bristol Cream sherry.
The total Christmas tax bill will come to £5.65 billion, more than enough for the Treasury to buy every single turkey in the EU.