Dave wrote:
Since I'm not planning to do that soon, could you summarize what they say on
why and integrated business has a VAT advantage?

A vertically integrated business has two main advantages:
control over a wider range supply cost versus sale price,
thus more control over their VAT costs; and economy of scale
with respect to VAT accounting.

The VAT is levied differently and can get complex, but my
understanding is that many international companies can
assign prices/costs to materials/goods as they move between
divisions of the company, also they don't have to pay
tariffs when materials/goods (not finished products) are
shipped across borders.

Another of my objections to VAT is that it is complex &
expensive to administer. It is inefficient. Another is the
moral position that it encourages cheating. Taxes should be
simple, transparent, and efficient.

DSK