# How to fix VAT

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ifs-zooms-in-the-economy-638796/how-to-fix-vat
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ifs-zooms-in-the-economy-638796/how-to-fix-vat.md
Podcast: [IFS Zooms In: The Economy](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ifs-zooms-in-the-economy-638796)
Published: 2025-11-04T16:13:19+00:00
Episode link: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/5ea004d9fbcc383829c71657/e/690a1509b27ff20cebbf050e/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ifs-zooms-in-the-economy-638796/episodes/how-to-fix-vat
Duration seconds: 2668

## Resource

Why are chocolate-covered shortbread and plain shortbread taxed differently? The UK’s VAT system is full of bizarre inconsistencies that make it complex, inefficient, and unfair. In this episode, we dive into how VAT works, why economists tend to love it in theory, and why the UK’s version falls short in practice. We explore zero and reduced rates, exemptions, myths about regressivity, and discuss how simplifying VAT could make it fairer and less distortionary. In the fourth and final episode of our tax mini-series, Helen, Ben and Stuart look at how to fix one of the UK’s most important and misunderstood taxes. Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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## Transcript

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