‘Boob Tax’ Raises Price of Plastic Surgery in the UK

In a move that will raise up to 500 million a year in the U.K., Chancellor George Osbourne has added a VAT (valued added tax) to cosmetic surgeries. The tax (dubbed the “boob tax”) will raise the price of cosmetic procedures 20 percent.

According to an article on AOL a VAT has already been applied to minor treatments such as Botox and chemical peels, but with the new tax guidelines doctors will be required to apply a VAT tax to all invasive procedures. This tax will add about1,000 to the cost of a boob job alone (that is about $1572 US dollars). According to the article, all patients will pay the tax unless they can prove to the doctor that the procedure is necessary fortherapeutic reasons.

But British cosmetic surgeons are not too pleased with the VAT.Fazel Fatah, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons said:”They imply that, by definition, any procedure that corrects appearance rather than function is not a medical need. There has been no meaningful discussion with the professional bodies involved.”

This seems to be a similar move to the tanning tax that went into effect in the US (which actually replaced the proposed “Botax” on the bill — a cosmetic surgery tax). Do you think the UK’s “boob tax” will head here next? And, do you think it’s a good idea? Give us your answer in the poll below!