I had a cast-iron bath re-enamelled. The firm was offering a £25 discount, bringing the cost to £145 but when I got the bill they’d made it out for £170 plus VAT and then deducted the £25 discount from the total a difference of £5.00. Surely the VAT should have been on the discounted price?
Yes. If you get hold of a copy of the VAT Guide from HMRC you will find it stipulates that VAT should always be charged on the discounted amount. Incidentally there’s no legal requirement for firms to quote prices inclusive of VAT, although it’s obviously good business practice for any firm that wishes to avoid upsetting its customers, so you should always check the price you will actually have to pay beforehand.