Current Events > The UK had a lawsuit about whether Jaffa Cakes are cakes.

(+) Yeah! (+)

McVities had been making Jaffa Cakes since 1927. But they were challenged for labelling their chocolate orange treats as cakes in 1991 by Her Majestys Customs and Excise.

It was accepted under UK law that biscuits were a luxury item and the full VAT would be levied. But cakes, on the other hand, have been regarded as a staple food so were zero-rated for the purposes of VAT.

Customs and Excise decided to rule Jaffa Cakes to be biscuits, partly covered in chocolate, and therefore standard-rate. But the cake manufacturers appealed against the decision and the matter went to court.

The arguments for Jaffa Cakes being a biscuit included: their size, as they were more like biscuits than cakes; packaging, as it was similar to biscuits; and marketing, as they were generally displayed for sale with biscuits rather than cakes. It was also put to the court that they were eaten as a snack, with the fingers, whereas a cake may be expected to be eaten with a fork.

But the key turning point was when McVities QC highlighted how cakes harden when they go stale, biscuits go soggy. A Jaffa goes hard. The case was proven.

During the court battle between Mcvities and Her Majestys Customs and Excise, Mcvities baked a giant Jaffa Cake to prove that Jaffa cakes were really cakes and not biscuits.

It was a long and costly dispute, but McVities finally tasted sweet success and Jaffa Cakes were finally recognised as chocolate covered cakes.

Now the 1.19billion Jaffa Cakes made every year are free of the consumer tax.

This means those with a sweet tooth can more easily afford to have their Jaffa Cake and eat it.

Full Article: https://www.kerseys.co.uk/jaffa-cakes-cakes-biscuits/

https://i.imgur.com/PEHlltQ.jpg

Imagine spending years in law school, getting into 6 figure debt and working your butt off just to end up standing in court one day arguing about eating cake with a fork.

This has some Yogscast vibes

Those are fucking biscults. Or in America, cookies.

UnfairRepresent posted...

Imagine spending years in law school, getting into 6 figure debt and working your butt off just to end up standing in court one day arguing about eating cake with a fork.

Probably the greatest and most interesting case that lawyer will ever have

Sheiky-Baby posted...

Those are fucking biscults. Or in America, cookies.

Idk, they look like mini cakes to me

That's a cookie. Case dismissed.

Whats next on my docket?

"Zee or Zed?"

During the court battle between Mcvities and Her Majestys Customs and Excise, Mcvities baked a giant Jaffa Cake to prove that Jaffa cakes were really cakes and not biscuits.

I've known this story for a while and this part always stuck out to me. McVitie's can make giant Jaffa Cakes. Can I buy one? I'd really like to buy one.

The whole point of the legal system is to settle disputes that arise over these sorts of things. The Supreme Court case over what the fundamental nature of golf is was a pretty funny one.

Get past the headline and it's a lawsuit about a company (successfully) avoiding tax.

Surely everyone can believe that?

Cakes are a staple food?
Didn't France cut some old lady's head off for suggesting that?

Hospy posted...

The whole point of the legal system is to settle disputes that arise over these sorts of things. The Supreme Court case over what the fundamental nature of golf is was a pretty funny one.

The fundamental nature of golf is to engage in an activity that takes enough time to finish an entire bottle of whisky at a reasonable clip.

Questionmarktarius posted...

Cakes are a staple food?
Didn't France cut some old lady's head off for suggesting that?

It's slightly more complicated than that.

The tax in question only applied to luxury baked goods, which didn't include cakes or biscuits, unless the biscuits were chocolate coated.

Hence the need to establish the Jaffa as legally a cake.

Questionmarktarius posted...

Didn't France cut some old lady's head off for suggesting that?

No she never actually said that

PoopPotato posted...

Whats next on my docket?

"Zee or Zed?"

Whichever irks the most people around me

Imagine having a society where biscuits are a luxury item and cake is a staple food.

Mussurana posted...

It's slightly more complicated than that.

The tax in question only applied to luxury baked goods, which didn't include cakes or biscuits, unless the biscuits were chocolate coated.

Hence the need to establish the Jaffa as legally a cake.

When a law has a loophole, the loophole becomes the law.
It's a wonder more biscuits didn't quickly reformulate to become legally cake.

Questionmarktarius posted...

Cakes are a staple food?

It's probably based on a centuries old law when cakes were basically bread but maybe with a bit of sugar or fruit, not a modern cake.

divot1338 posted...

Imagine having a society where biscuits are a luxury item and cake is a staple food.

You've never been to England have you

Cakes have their own aisle in the supermarket