VAT (IVA) up on September 1, school supplies included

Advice: shop now, before the date

SPAIN Back to school this year is going to be a lot more expensiveÑ families will be spending between €140 and €340 just on school supplies. Add clothes, shoes, uniforms, etc and the total can be over €700. The numbers are almost double those of last year. But now is the time to buy all those school materials (e.g. notebooks, pens, pencils, plasicine, ruler, rubbers, etc. etc.) because IVA on them goes up from the 'super-reduced' rate of 4% to the full 21%. This does not affect text books, which are still at 4%. Many schools have an exchange system in operation, as do some parents organizations. ITEMS SUCH AS THIS WILL SOON BE SUBJECT TO SUBSCRIPTION. Subscription information will be available soon.