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Retailers Against VAT Abuse Schemes

  Trying to Level the Playing Field in Online Retail  

RAVAS  

RAVAS ?   

RAVAS is Retailers Against VAT Abuse Schemes a campaign group originally set up in 2009 by Richard Allen to represent Small and Medium sized Enterprises facing unfair and abusive competition from online retailers avoiding/evading VAT.  In the UK VAT is 20% of the retail price and those who evade it enjoy a fiscal advantage equivalent to an entire profit margin. VAT avoidance/evasion puts VAT paying businesses at a significant competitive disadvantage, otherwise known as cheating.  

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Value Added Tax (VAT) is also a crucial component of the UK's tax system, contributing significantly to public finances. VAT generated approximately £159.7 billion in the 2022-2023 financial year​ (source HMRC). This revenue supports essential public services such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure.  Ensuring that VAT is collected and that avoidance is eliminated directly benefits the economy and public services. Conversely those who evade it harm VAT paying businesses and damage the UK economy and public finances.

RAVAS - What We Do 

RAVAS campaigns in the media and directly with Government to ensure that VAT avoidance/evasion is exposed and prevented so that UK business can operate on a level playing field. After a seven year campaign RAVAS successfully closed down the Channel Island VAT Loophole in 2012. In 2017 RAVAS was instrumental in making Online Marketplaces including eBay and Amazon liable for certain types of VAT fraud.  RAVAS has made representations in the High Court, to the EU Commission, The Public Accounts Committee, The Treasury Committee and The National Audit Office. RAVAS continues to highlight loopholes that allow Online Retailers to avoid/evade  VAT on their sales. More recently RAVAS has been campaigning against competitive abuses of data by Online Marketplaces, the sale of dangerous goods and the avoidance of import duty, all practices aimed at distorting competition, unlevelling the playing field and putting law abiding UK retailers at a competitive disadvantage. RAVAS is now facing problems with an international dimension, hence the need for RAVAS Global   

Is your business impacted by any of these issues ? Do you have information about an abusive practice ? Contact RAVAS Global  

If you’d like more information about our goals, email ravasglobal@gmail.com

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