and what a useful marketing tool VAT has been! So many suppliers whose goods are obviously aimed at the individual consumer market, advertise their wares at the base price with the “plus vat” caveat in small print. It grates with me and encourages me to look for a dealer who is more open and forthright, before committing to a purchase.
I believe that practise is illegal - a trader is required to quote prices to the consumer including vat. However, its a bit like price fixing and cartels in that enforcement is negligible.
