VAT now comprises a fifth of HMRC's tax intake

The total amount of VAT collected has rocketed up 60% over the last 10 years - up to £125bn in 2017/18, from £78bn in 2008/09. The accountancy group said the statistics highlighted how the UK tax burden was being increasingly shifted onto consumers, disproportionately affecting those with lower incomes. HMRC's total tax take increased to £594bn last year and now stands at a 30-year high. It represents 33% of GDP and ranks the UK 20 out of 36 OECD countries for highest tax burden. France tops the table at 46%. "VAT has become a crucial component of total tax take and the government wil...