As a company based in EU, we would like to buy a copy of X5 but can't, as online store insists on adding VAT. We have own VAT id and it is legaly required to buy things without VAT and add our countries own VAT to the price.
Any decent online store in EU has an option to buy things without VAT when you supply VAT id, except Corel.
We simply do not want to buy from lousy local distributer as they add nothing but 1-200 € to the price! Corel please fix this!
Agree!!
Ok what is VAT?
VAT = Value Added Tax. It is a progressive tax. i.e.: a farmer grows corn. He sells the corn to a distributer, there is an added VAT to the whole sale of the corn. The distributor now sells the corn to a retailer, for the price wholesaler paid, plus the paid VAT, plus his markup, and plus a (now) new VAT. The retailer, in turn, when s/he sells the corn to a consumer, has to charge another VAT on top of all the rest that has been paid.
Or, in other words, a VAT is an aggressive sales tax, applied at each and every stage of sale from source to end user.
So many taxes made me reminder a country that I know
VAT is a simple tax made complicated by national legislation and even more complicated by EU over legislation.
In simple terms it depends where you are and where Corel is. Essentially if you are both in the same (EU) country then you pay VAT and if you are in different countries and produce your VAT number to the seller you don't pay VAT to the seller but account for it in your home country. Now Corel make it very difficult to find out where they are for selling purposes so basically you are stuffed.
Here in the UK an interesting case has just arisen with Apple, who refused to issue VAT receipts and were forced to change their policy by the VAT authorities.
A report to your own home VAT people may produce results.
In any event, why would you want to download via an EU site. The price of an upgrade including VAT in Sterling is £210.32, whereas from the US the cost is $189 which equates to £126 at todays rate of $1.50 to £1
David