Britain: Skirting the Issue

Also up in the air about taxes last week were Britain’s legions of mini-skirted mods. British sales taxes include a 121% levy on purchases of adult clothing, but the regulations exempt children’s wear. And the thigh-high miniskirts fall short of the maxi 24-in. waist-to-hem length that is bureaucratically considered the beginning of adult size. So up to now the mods have had to pay no taxes when they bought skirts. Aware that it is thus losing pounds and pounds of tax money, the government last week was searching for a way to hem in the revenue. It may change the regulations so as to start the adult size a shorter distance from the navel. On that basis the Chelsea girls might hike their skirts a few more inches. Then, perhaps, the government would recover its loss through an increase in sightseeing tourists.