The first of October 2012 will be a sad day for the sports nutrition industry as the Government will impose 20% VAT on their products. The dust of a peaked-passion for sports fuelled by the Olympics and Paralympics isn't even close to settling while fitness enthusiasts will be disgusted to learn that they be forced to suffer a significant increase in the cost of supplements from this date.
You will undoubtedly notice the jump in price soon enough and may be searching elsewhere for your supplementation needs in the near future, but this change is purely to line the Government's pocket. This means that we shouldn't be blaming the sports nutrition companies for slapping a higher figure on their labels because they will pretty much have to. In fact the UK Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance was formed (fronted by such companies) to oppose the move, albeit to no avail.
Obviously the money generated from the taxation could be used to fund positive developments in the sports/fitness industry and pioneering a healthy lifestyle. However, it seems backwards to hurt those who are already passionate about staying healthy and those who will become so in future. On the one hand the Government makes incentives and encourages us to become more active, and with the other hand they punish us for taking them up on the offer.
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