BBC College of Journalism Blog - A vigorous and robust discussion about journalism from every perspective.
- Charles Miller |
- Tuesday 4 January 2011, 13:42
So what do you think of the 14.29 per cent increase in VAT?
Yes, that's (2.5 ÷ 17.5) x 100 = 14.28571
VAT has risen by two and a half percentage points, but not "by two and a half per cent".
Roll of shame:
- "The 2.5 per cent rise in VAT is immediate." The Times' editorial, today
- "The 2.5 per cent increase in VAT is the wrong tax rise at the wrong time for hard-pressed families, Ed Miliband, the Labour Leader, will say today." Daily Telegraph, yesterday
- "The 2.5 per cent increase is predicted to raise an extra £13 billion a year for the Treasury." Daily Telegraph, 16 December
- "The first hit is the 2.5 per cent increase in VAT on 4 January." The People, 4 December
- "There will be a 2.5 per cent increase in the rate of VAT to 20 per cent." Evening Standard, 12 November
And, while I'm at it, call me pedantic but what does Ed Miliband mean by "the wrong tax rise at the wrong time"?
Does he mean there is a better time for the wrong tax rise? Maybe even an optimum time for the wrong tax rise? But wouldn't that make it really rather a good tax rise for that particular moment?
More from the College of Journalism on accuracy with numbers here.
- Post categories:
- Writing
About Discussion on CoJo
A vigorous and robust discussion about journalism from every perspective.
Recent Blogs
- Inconvenient Truths
- The Ambitions of a Young Journalist
- Bankers, bonuses and impartiality
- The problem of too many comments on news sites
- Google adds possibilities to the mobile future
- This Facebook fad can't last
- Have we heard the last of labour correspondents?
- A case of mistaken identity
- Video: Future Tools and Trends in Journalism
- Contraceptive failure figures: meaningless without comparisons
- Haiti and Pakistan: why such different responses to natural disasters?
- TV is more opinionated than print in US media culture
- VAT: the wrong number at the wrong time
- Happy New Year, Radio 4
- The See Through Year
- Brian Cox redefines impartiality
- When is a paywall not a paywall?
- Annals of Journalism 5: Reginald Bosanquet
- Let's talk investigations
- Face the future, at last
- CoJo News Debrief: Peter Hunt
- What kind of difference does the internet make in Russia?
- Journalism in the freezer
- I'm Mandy, film me
- Tolstoy and the authorities
- Way Back Home
- iPhone therefore I am ... on air
- Location-based services: are they lost?
- The dangers of Russian journalism
- Risks for Journalists: Working with Stats
Video Catch up
- The World in 2011
- Coventry Conversations: Face the Future
- City University: Pimp my Blog
- Greenpeace and the Media
- Golden Age of TV News?
- TV News Presentation Tips
© MMXI
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.
If you look at the rest of his statement he explains why VAT is a bad tax to increase... I think the phrase "the wrong tax rise at the wrong time", as in "it's a bad thing to increase" and "if you had to do it, there'd be a better time", is fine. Whether you agree with the sentiment or not is another thing altogether.
As for the difference between percent and percentage points, look I'm Mr Pedantry (I still insist the 21st century started on Jan 1st 2001) but even I'd accept "VAT has gone up 2.5%" as being acceptable, if it didn't lead people to think prices have gone up 2.5%. However, even using the more correct "percentage points" wouldn't help there...
Complain about this comment
For clarity the statement should read 'VAT rose from 17.5% to 20% today.'
Complain about this comment
Although there's also an argument that "2.5% increase" overstates the rise, as the total price you pay for a VAT-eligible product only goes up by (2.5/117.5)*100 = 2.1%.
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS