The Great British VAT grab.. 2021

So we have all enjoyed the odd bargain direct from China, Tax free! But come the 1st January 2021 here in the UK things are about to change.

 A few people are thinking that small purchases won't be affected. Sorry, they will. The £15 VAT-free limit is being abolished. Even if you only want a £1 rubber glass hammer along with a  matching left-handed spanner, the firm will have to register and pay the tax up front.

The only saving grace is that private sales between individuals, and gifts, will still be tax-free up to £39.

With goods sold via on-line marketplaces like ebay, Amazon etc, the onus will be on the marketplace, not the individual trader, to register for VAT.. Whatever, it's the consumer that will suffer.

 

 

 

Link to official HMG website: HMRC

 

This is how I understand the rules so far:

 

Tax on everything!

But it's ebay and Amazon that collects it. No more stupid Royal Mail tickets through the door.

One bonus is that VAT wont be levied on shipping etc, only the value of goods.

Paying 20%  VAT on nowt all, is nearly nowt, so it's not really a big deal for us ebayers. For example 100 1N4148's for a Quid is only going to cost you 20p more, is that really going to break the bank?

But the likes of AliExpress might be screwed if they don't wanna register a UK VAT number? Maybe they will find another route in through the back door?

Individual traders may suffer selling to the UK, unless they opt to sell via ebay which saves them registering. 

But prices to us all still go up.

Mixed bag really.

Glad I've stockpiled  a few bits.

Seasons Greetings

 

*******Happy Xmas and a Better 2021 to you all.******

 

As you can all see Santa arrived earlier dropping me off a couple of books, so I am off for a read and a double Scotch..

 

 Best 73's G1KQH

 

 

Back Room Boys reunion

The backroom boys 1976-1978, were the lads who did the lighting, sound, and projection of films for the school plays, and performances. Working at the back of the school hall, in and outside of school time.

 Recently all four of us got together and went back to visit what was left of Aelfgar school, Rugeley, where we were educated in our senior years betweek 1974 and 1979.

 

Who is this scruffy lot? 

Dave, Phil, John and me.  

This was taken outside of the front entrance of the old original school building which is now a YMCA hostel and Doctors surgery.

All of us have a radio connnection. Myself and Dave became radio amateurs, Phil's Dad was a Radio Ham, John and I used to build crystal sets and regen radios in the school holidays.

This is what was left of the science block. At the time we visited it didn't have many days left before it was to be demolished.

The school hall and library had already gone and was rubble.

 

The new part of Aelfgar survived two major fires, gutting the hall and library on both occasions, in the period of when we were all educated there. But had been closed for several years before they decided it was of no further use and the land was to made available for housing.

 

Free QRP Book

 Minimalist QRP Book V5.3 from IZ3AYQ

It's a free download:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dw61-PQ-4JA9feh93H_KrldD4RpN1zZT/view

 

There should be enough ideas contained in it's 77 pages, for you all to get building something over Christmas..

Links & Kinks update

You can now Search the web when you are now viewing inside the Blog. I have added a Search engine widget to the top right hand corner.. SEARCH INTERNET

My friend Andy (G0FTD) accidentlly deleted his website recently, so he has now totally rewritten and organised a new one:

https://sites.google.com/view/andy-g0ftd/home 

Also ZL2CTM has a good technical Blog, well worth a mention and I will add that to My Blog List

http://zl2ctm.blogspot.com/

This should be used in conjunction with his excellent Youtube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSNPW3_gzuMJcX_ErBZTv2g

 I will update the links at the side of the Blog panel ..

 

 

A decent protective case/stand for the IC-705

 

Quite a few different stands for the IC-705, have quickly reached the market from third party manufacturers.  

Some good, but some that look like they would fall over at the first blow of a wind. 

 

This one I spotted recently seems to tick all boxes from BD-7 MAPLE.

Said to be made of iron, of which I would class as steel with all around grilled protection? A front mounted SO239, two fold out sturdy feet, makes the radio look the part and fit for real purpose, either on the shack desk, or out in the field in action. Along with a protective transparent front cover makes it all look and feel a robust professional job.

 

Link here: BD-7-Maple