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3. Jaffa Cake or Biscuit?
From rock stars to rogue billionaires, tax has shaped fortunes and toppled empires. Dan Neidle unpicks its strangest and most consequential stories.
A biscuit or a cake? That was the question that landed biscuit company McVities in court in 1991 - and the fate of the Jaffa Cake rested on the most unexpected piece of evidence.
But behind the absurdity lies a deeper issue - how the UK鈥檚 messy VAT system distorts prices, creates baffling tax battles, and might just be costing us over 拢20 billion a year.
Producer: Tom Pooley
Music: Jaffa Cake Musical is by Gigglemug Theatre, with songs by Sam Cochrane, arrangements by Rob Gathercole, and Katie Pritchard singing 'Tax Man'.
A Tempo+Talker production for 蜜芽传媒 Radio 4
On radio
Fri 10 Oct 2025
14:45
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