Pointless questions...

[isham-research.freeserve.co.uk at pop.pol.net.uk]

> The rate of VAT ranges from country to country and according to whether
> something is considered a necessity or a luxury but the most common rate is
> about 17 to 18 %. Items considered a necessity are either tax exempted or
> tax on a much lower rate.

One of the more iniquitous and lesser-known facts about the UK's
membership of the EU is that we have formally commited _NEVER_ to
lower VAT below 15% as a condition of entry.  I believe we are the
only country to have made this commitment.  Even food is taxed, if
eaten in a restaurant.  If you buy it and eat it outside, there's
no tax.

> The VAT system was supposed to make life easier on the tax payer and on the
> tax collecting authorities but as everything that is applied by bureaucrats
> it has developed into a nightmare for everybody.

It's not _that_ bad, but it's still an imposition on businesses making
them into unpaid tax gatherers with hugely inequitable penalties if
they get it wrong.  Plus the VAT inspectors have draconian powers of
entry and search - an Englishman's home is certainly not his castle
if he happens to be VAT-registered.

>>MoT is the governing body of motor regulations, sort of like DMV here
>>in the US.

> MoT is the acronym for Ministry of Transport.  I think this is self
> expanatory.

Was, at the time the testing started.  Its name has changed many times
since then but the MoT test remains.  If done properly, it's quite
strict.

>> The various "Regs" are license plates - one letter for each calendar
>> year.  Unlike in the US, a car gets one license plate, which goes with
>> it when it is sold.  So, you could tell by looking at the plate what
>> model year a car belongs to, roughly.

> right on that too, as far as I know.

Except certain letters are omitted, 'Q' means a dubious title, and
the letter now changes twice a year rather than once.

You can also transfer plates betwen vehicles.  "A20 VRR" becomes
"A 20V RR" with the letters illegally spaced.  A number of members
do this.

--
 Phil Payne
 http://www.isham-research.freeserve.co.uk/quattro
 Phone +44 7785 302803   Fax: +44 7785 309674