Morrisons backs campaign to fight proposed chicken tax
A new campaign has been launched to unite the food industry and consumers to fight UK government plans to tax rotisserie chickens.
On 1 October, current proposals to add VAT to the sale of whole rotisserie chickens will come into force. The British Poultry Council (BPC) and retailer Morrisons believe this is an unfair tax that will hit budget conscious shoppers who use rotisserie chickens in their family meals.
The tax will be introduced through proposals unveiled in the March budget to add VAT to all food that is sold hot, classifying it as a take-away food. But research shows that people do not purchase a whole rotisserie chicken to eat in the same way as they would a take-away meal.
More than four in every five Morrisons shoppers instead purchase their rotisserie chicken to eat later and after adding other foods such as potatoes or vegetables to make a main meal.
The British Poultry Council represents poultry suppliers across the UK who are backing this campaign, including Moy Park and Cargill who supply Morrisons.
Jamie Winter, fresh food director at Morrisons, said: “It’s unfair to take a ‘catch all’ approach without accepting that there will almost always be important exceptions. The simple fact is that our customers buy their whole rotisserie chicken as part of their weekly shop, not as a takeaway.
"Our customers tell us that they simply cannot pay more in these difficult times. That’s why we’re helping them to fight this unfair tax on the great british roast.”
Source: Morrisons
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