Why is festool so much more expensive here ?

[Val]

Why is Belfast considered EU? I don't have TV so I haven't really followed Brexit that much. I used to live near Drogheda and would to pop to Newry to post stuff as it was much more economical than using anPost.

Edit. Sorry missed the "when I'm in Italy bit"
Edit, edit. But Italy wouldn't be grouped with GB, so got it wrong again.

Also: apologies, I didn’t make it clear from the beginning that I’m from Italy but I live in NI, so I was talking about the two places in two different posts.

 

[curryjunkie]

britain pays more for everything basically, cars, tools, you name it its higher in the UK, its what the market will bear, even after tax i still think its a rip off.

 

[stuart little]

Märklin HO "Big Boy" loco., made in Germany used to sell a lot cheaper in US than could be bought in D.

Oops, missed the 'k'.

 

[Dave Moore]

Anyone have any knowledge on why we pay so much more than the US ? My best guess would be "America bigger, profit higher" but im curious.
Looking around it seems like we tend to pay about £150 more on any given item over here! which seems a little crazy.

Specifically ive been looking at sanders and noticed the ets125 is $250 in the US or £350/$435 over here and the ETS 150/5 eq+ is $430 US or £510~($630) here, both options ending up around £160/$200 more for us.

Look how much cars are compared to Europe even if made here. We have been ripped off for years on everything. Look how the price of fuel has started to creep up again or your energy bills.

 

[Adam W.]

Grumble, grumble.

 

[artie]

Bushmills whiskey distillery is just a few miles from me.

Bushmills whiskey can be bought for considerably less in USA than here.

I expect tax is the culprit.

 

[MF1000]

Bushmills whiskey distillery is just a few miles from me.

Bushmills whiskey can be bought for considerably less in USA than here.

I expect tax is the culprit.

There are two lots of tax on spirits

Alcohol duty is £28.50 per litre of pure alcohol then VAT is charged too !

so on you bottle of Bushmills 0.7 litre at 40% alcohol is £7.98, the VAT at 20% gives £9.58 of ‘duty’ on any std bottle of whisky/gin/vodka/rum etc of course cask strength bottlings attract even more duty.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I believe that technically it's illegal to impose a tax upon a tax but this obviously doesn't apply to alcohol, petrol etc.

 

[paulrbarnard]

I believe that technically it's illegal to impose a tax upon a tax but this obviously doesn't apply to alcohol, petrol etc.

We pay income tax on what we earn than VAT on what we buy with that already taxed income. A lot of what we buy has also had import tax paid on it.

I’d say getting taxed just once is pretty much impossible

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Bushmills whiskey distillery is just a few miles from me.

Bushmills whiskey can be bought for considerably less in USA than here.

I expect tax is the culprit.

For several years I played euchre with a chap from Cobh. He insisted on Jameson's (pronounced Jammeson's) when it was someone else's round and I always bought him Bushmills out of devilment. He never knew.
Black Bush is quite wonderful.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

We pay income tax on what we earn than VAT on what we buy with that already taxed income. A lot of what we buy has also had import tax paid on it.

I’d say getting taxed just once is pretty much impossible

An accountant told my cousin years ago that they'd chased a pound through the system in a nightclub and after all costs and taxes it was worth fourpence.

 

[MF1000]

I believe that technically it's illegal to impose a tax upon a tax but this obviously doesn't apply to alcohol, petrol etc.

Unfortunately we can’t argue with the referee…..they get the red card out pretty quick if you do

 

[Britman]

You have to remember that US listed prices generally don't include local sales tax and that's different for every state.

 

[stuart little]

I believe that technically it's illegal to impose a tax upon a tax but this obviously doesn't apply to alcohol, petrol etc.

Ah, but the "Merchant Bankers" make up the rules as they go along!!

 

[evildrome]

There are two lots of tax on spirits

Alcohol duty is £28.50 per litre of pure alcohol then VAT is charged too !

so on you bottle of Bushmills 0.7 litre at 40% alcohol is £7.98, the VAT at 20% gives £9.58 of ‘duty’ on any std bottle of whisky/gin/vodka/rum etc of course cask strength bottlings attract even more duty.

20 years ago I used to work for Chivas & Glenlivet.

The replacement cost of a bottle of Chivas Regal including the bottle, label, capsule, closure & the actual whisky was 35p.

I think the whisky element of that was 17p.

 

[MF1000]

20 years ago a bottle of Macallan 18 year old was £75 …..now it’s close to £400

 

[clogs]

rip off Britain was just the way those at the top kept the peasants down.....
it's getting harder for them now as we have the internet.......
also they are getting better at hiding their fiddles.....
esp politions, if they get cought on the fiddle they shoud be forced to pay back x10, even if it makes em homeless.......

U say if we dont buy it at the top price, the price will come down......
JUST look in the bins behind supermarkets.....

 

[Nick.]

Just to chip in with what I know on machinery - some factories we use have a 25% plus mark up vs USA cost which is due to switching production runs / new tooling costs etc. to comply with CE regs and to factor in new features (braked motors etc.) needing to be added to conform with CE / UKCA.

I get that, and agree we do pay more : that includes us importers too.

Not saying CE / UKCA is a bad thing by the way - our compulsory safety features are way ahead of USA still.

So our cost is then multiplied by the time it is sold via our retailers.

We are doing our best to bring the pricing difference down at source, but it's hard without the USA volume vs. Europe is the reality.

Cheers,
Nick

 

[Nick.]

Bushmills whiskey distillery is just a few miles from me.

Bushmills whiskey can be bought for considerably less in USA than here.

I expect tax is the culprit.

I remember many years back dropping into the Dalwhinny distillery just off the A9 in Scotland whilst on the way to see an account.

I was really quite excited thinking I was going to pick up a bottle at maybe 50% discount...

Ha - It was actually cheaper in my local shop 350 miles South.

Plus I didn't have to queue with hundreds of Japanese tourists to buy it from my local ...

 

[artie]

I remember many years back dropping into the Dalwhinny distillery just off the A9 in Scotland whilst on the way to see an account.

I was really quite excited thinking I was going to pick up a bottle at maybe 50% discount...

Ha - It was actually cheaper in my local shop 350 miles South.

Plus I didn't have to queue with hundreds of Japanese tourists to buy it from my local ...

I've lived almost all of my life within a few miles of "The distillery" and it was only about 10 yrs ago, when a cousin was visiting from Canada that I took him on a tour of it. Had a nice walk round and a chance to sample some of their wares for free.
I was driving so he got the lot.

Similarly but completely off topic it was during his visit that I walked Derry's walls for the one and only time.

It appears I don't get out much.