Magic mushroom sellers tripped up by Customs
Sellers of the hallucinogenic fungus commonly known as magic mushrooms are facing a VAT charge after Customs & Excise ruled the vegetable should be classified as a drug, not as a food.
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Traders are now facing a £1m tax bill after Customs ruled that sellers must be subjected to a 17.5% VAT charge.
Customs argued in a letter, in response to an inquiry from a North London Shop owner: ‘It is evident from various magic mushroom websites that you do not use it based on the amount required in a recipe, you use amounts based on what sort or “trip” you want.’
It is estimated that there are between 200 and 300 magic mushroom sellers in the UK, and many more trading online, the Belfast Telegraph reported.