UK VAT change keeps programmers in business?
Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:54 am
Are there any other UK programmers struggling with a flurry of clients panicking about the VAT rate change from the 1st December announced this week?
I've had two separate issues today, one where the VAT is easily changed via a configuration variable in the code for the cost calculation, but where the rate was unfortunately hardcoded into a PDF invoice template, and another where the client had input thousands of prices into the database with VAT included at 17.5% and wanted a fast way to adjust them to the new rate for monday.
Fortunately neither task was particularly difficult - negotiating when to actually effect the change will be more awkward - I don't want to be sat here at 12.00am monday uploading stuff and I don't trust DTS to roll some database changes for me when I'm not here.
I feel bad for the smaller businesses who could really do without having to fork out for these kinds of system changes at such short notice - but on the other hand, I'm in a small business too, and we programmers gotta eat! I don't think this is quite what the government was intending but I guess it's certainly stimulating the economy in the IT sector!
I've had two separate issues today, one where the VAT is easily changed via a configuration variable in the code for the cost calculation, but where the rate was unfortunately hardcoded into a PDF invoice template, and another where the client had input thousands of prices into the database with VAT included at 17.5% and wanted a fast way to adjust them to the new rate for monday.
Fortunately neither task was particularly difficult - negotiating when to actually effect the change will be more awkward - I don't want to be sat here at 12.00am monday uploading stuff and I don't trust DTS to roll some database changes for me when I'm not here.
I feel bad for the smaller businesses who could really do without having to fork out for these kinds of system changes at such short notice - but on the other hand, I'm in a small business too, and we programmers gotta eat! I don't think this is quite what the government was intending but I guess it's certainly stimulating the economy in the IT sector!