Does food price displayed on restaurant menu have to legally include VAT?
I want to know if the food displayed on a menu at a restaurant should include the VAT in it. Because some restaurant show you a price and then when you get the bill you see that the VAT is not included in it and you have to cater for another 15%!!
I heard some time back that the Consumer protection unit wanted to make all prices in restaurant become VAT inclusive. Have anyone heard anything on that?
Thanks.
2 Replies
I've experienced the same thing and it's really frustrating. As far as I know, if prices on the menu do not include VAT, then the restaurant is supposed to state this somewhere on the menu to inform customers. Some restaurants have the message "Prices exclude VAT" or "VAT not included" at the bottom of each page and some owners show just one message at the end of the menu hoping people will find their food cheaper than what it really is while still complying with the laws.
Under Section 7 (1) of the Consumer Protection Act from MCCI (Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry), it states:
Where VAT is chargeable by a trader in respect of any goods, the trader shall affix a label in a conspicuous place on a specimen of the goods indicating the total selling price of the goods inclusive of VAT.
Source : Price and Supplies Control Act
Hence under the section you named , simply putting "Price exclude VAT" is illegal and against the law....they should cater for vat in their prices....isnt it?
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