[Deleted User]

Flying Chinamam – this thread is about VAT refunds not the infra structure of European airports vrs Asian airports!

It quite astonishing the amount I have learned from researching this report. Apart from answers ‘around’ the question, no one has been able to answer the question as to why we have Q’s of people lining up at the VAT refund desk at airports to take money back out of the UK after having spent it here in the first place. It seems to me that VAT refunds are there as part of UK folklore (and in other places around the world) but the reality is that this is one tax refund that should join all the other cuts and at the very least could be picked up by the Treasury and modified so as to benefit at the very least the travel experience of the airports and ports. I am looking for the exact figures involved in the VAT refunds to see how much is involved, but I would imagine if VAT refunds formed part of the cuts/cahnges (of course on the basis the UK PLC is allowed by Europe to abolish VAT refunds) then either the benefit could be redirected directly to benefit the airports or our passenger supplementary charges through the airport could be reduced (unlikley). At the very least, it would free valuable retail (or even lounge space up) once HMRC are relieved of the VAT refund desks, always in prominent positions (by the way do they pay full BAA rent).

I knowUK PLC may suffer from the likes of FlyingChinaman + others going to buy his goods elswhere, but may be passengers will gain by the VAT refunds bing altered/redirected once the Treasury made the necerssary ammendmants which I am sure they would be able to do.

I have declined to write the report for the delegates of the conference.

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