Increasing VAT on small businesses won't help

Odd comment from ANN OTHER on the Telegraph today arguing that the VAT Threshold should be lowered so that more plumbers on £300 a day pay VAT. Not sure what she has against plumbers and the self employed but I have a message for ANN OTHER - small businesses don't need to be squashed by any more VAT thank you very much.

Furthermore, your argument makes little sense because the VAT threshold is currently £68,000 in any twelve month period and few plumbers on £300 a day will cross that threshold, here's why:

There are 365 days in the year, 104 of those are weekends and you can expect a self-employed plumber to take those off (or days off in lieu) plus at least 25 days holiday a year, plus 8 days off for bank holidays - that leaves 228 days to work - allow 2 day for sickness (far fewer than taken by many over-paid, over-privileged, under-worked public servants) and you have 227 working days, which at £300 a day is £67,800 a year. Allow for some clients not paying and work related injuries and you see that most plumbers don't get close to your magic figure.

Take into account the fact that the self-employed take more risks than the employed, have fewer benefits, little or no support and little public gratitude and there is a strong case for taxing them less not more.

Blessings that your pipes don't burst this Christmas.

Father Ignatius Brown