Another absurd tax in the UK

i like knowing what the hell i'm going to have to pay for something BEFORE i take it to the till - not having to calculate it in my mind.

i'm gonna have to agree w/Lizzit (don't faint, dear  ) here - i'd rather pay tax than be dead.

something's always going to be wasted, something's always going to seem an absurd extravagence of my tax money.  but hey, it's the same everywhere.

i like knowing what the hell i'm going to have to pay for something BEFORE i take it to the till - not having to calculate it in my mind.

Yes.This is one of the first things I noticed - and really liked - in the UK.

I'll never forget seeing old people in the US paying for things with nickels, dimes and pennies, because it was all they had, only to find out after they'd counted out their change that they couldn't afford the roll of kitchen towel or whatever it was because they hadn't figured in tax.

Anything which borders on the "luxury" category is charged 17.5% -- Chocolates, for example.

What?    Surely chocolate is a necessity....