Come now, you have been going on about VAT on new houses for posts and posts but when I finally comment you dismiss my answer as irrelevant. Where is the logic in that?
I said, why exactly SHOULD new houses be exempt from VAT? How does that help society? Frankly, it only helps builders. There is no shortage of profit in building houses and the price of a finished house has precious little to do with the cost of building it. So why are you making a fuss defending the rights of housbuilders not to pay VAT? Like defending the rights of pleasureboat owners to get subsidised fuel?
Some people are going around moaning that the EU is forcing us to do all sorts of things. But then if it turns out that the only specific things they can name are in fact really rather sensible things to do, what is the fuss?
Complaining that the EU is encoraging us to do what we really ought to be doing anyway?
Now i would say that requiring a house to always come with a 10 year guarantee is absurd. From the increasing number of 'buy a home in France' programs it would also seem to be far from the reality. But if what is being said is that the French have building regulations which specify minimum building standards and also require a 10 year workmanship guarantee from the builder, well I do not see that as unreasonable either. I also favour longer mandatory guarantees on new cars, washing machines and televisions. We throw things away far too quickly.
I said, why exactly SHOULD new houses be exempt from VAT? How does that help society? Frankly, it only helps builders. There is no shortage of profit in building houses and the price of a finished house has precious little to do with the cost of building it. So why are you making a fuss defending the rights of housbuilders not to pay VAT? Like defending the rights of pleasureboat owners to get subsidised fuel?
Some people are going around moaning that the EU is forcing us to do all sorts of things. But then if it turns out that the only specific things they can name are in fact really rather sensible things to do, what is the fuss?
Complaining that the EU is encoraging us to do what we really ought to be doing anyway?
Now i would say that requiring a house to always come with a 10 year guarantee is absurd. From the increasing number of 'buy a home in France' programs it would also seem to be far from the reality. But if what is being said is that the French have building regulations which specify minimum building standards and also require a 10 year workmanship guarantee from the builder, well I do not see that as unreasonable either. I also favour longer mandatory guarantees on new cars, washing machines and televisions. We throw things away far too quickly.