Re:It's their lot in life, they're made to suffer (Score 2, Informative)

VAT, Value Added Tax, is a tax added to almost everything you buy: in the UK it's 17.5%, I think the highest in the EU is about 19%, the EU want everywhere's tax to be about 17.5% (I can't remember the exact value) as at the moment each country has a different rate. If you but something from the EU, within the EU (i.e. a German buying a Greek thingy) then you don't pay any import taxes because you paid the VAT (I think, IANAL). In the UK, you don't pay VAT on: * Ordinary food (luxury food, like chocolate, biscuits (cookies), microwave-meals and so on is taxed though) * Books * Children's clothes and shoes VAT page from HMCE (Her Majesty's Customs and Excise) for more info.