17.5% the current UK VAT rate?

Question

What exactly is a VAT rate?
Is that like tax on an item?
All items?

Answer 1

VAT=Value Added Tax

The main rate is 17.5% and is payable on most goods and services in the UK. Some items (for example, domestic fuel supplies) have a lower rate of 5%, some items (non-luxury foods, books, childrens clothes) have a rate of 0%.

Answer 2

VAT is "value added tax", which should be self-explainatory.

The standard rate of VAT is 17.5%, but there are other rates of 5% and 8%.

Most items are liable for VAT, but, in general, not essentials