VAT is a total administrative PITA, I would hate to see any additional systems modeled on it.
I founded a start-up in Europe, and most of my accounting costs are recovering VAT on business expenses. There's an argument that VAT is an efficient tax because businesses basically have to self administer it, but my take is that the cost is hidden because the burden is pushed onto business.
Depends on the VAT system. In New Zealand you can almost count the VAT (GST) exceptions on one hand (most land/property, bank charges, and goods/services that are exported), everything else supplied domestically has one flat rate of 15%.
Compare this to the UK, where there's massive sets of exclusions and several different rates in force. Takeaway vs dine-in food, digital vs physical books, ... a total mess.
I founded a start-up in Europe, and most of my accounting costs are recovering VAT on business expenses. There's an argument that VAT is an efficient tax because businesses basically have to self administer it, but my take is that the cost is hidden because the burden is pushed onto business.