Governments are keen in enhancing their tax revenue from wherever possible and enact tax laws to achieve this objective. Bingo games’ playing has been a thriving industry over the decades from the 60s owing to the overwhelming response the Bingo Clubs are getting from the British Citizens of all ages and both genders.
The enjoyable pastime of Bingo Games playing, as has been unquestionably certified by the British populace, has been yielding sizeable tax revenue to the exchequer for all these years. Every Bingo player patronizing these Clubs are evenly sharing the tax burden, not overtly knowing though.
The tickets they buy for playing any Bingo game of their choice, includes a portion thereof to be remitted as tax to Her Majesty’s Government and so far it is not biting, nobody is going to bother about it. But the authorities wanted to push up the revenue collections a little bit and introduced the VAT – Value Added Tax – a round-about way of pinching the Bingo players. This additional tax was imposed on real word Bingo Clubs and exclusive Bingo Halls all over the United Kingdom and spared the online Bingo sites from its purview.
It is common knowledge that the principles of natural justice calls for an equal treatment of all the Bingo Games playing venues, whether they are offline or online. Any bias on this will make it a mockery of the law enforcing authorities and will wrath the displeasure of the common public.
Moreover, United Kingdom being a member-nation of the European Union, the laws of the EU will prevail upon the laws of the member nations, should a legal dispute arise.
Mecca Bingo, a pioneer in the field, running both land Bingo and online Bingo challenged the VAT levy on their land Bingo Clubs and has been successful in its plea with the Tax Tribunal. They have got the order of the Tribunal, directing the British Revenue and Customs authorities, to refund £36. 3 millions of VAT collected from their Bingo Clubs, as it contravenes the EU laws.
Whether this mile-stone achievement will stand appeals by the authorities is a matter to “wait and see”.
