Well, you raise an invoice with VAT on it, you get paid, you put the VAT money on the side because it is NOT YOUR money and you pay the VAT to the financial system. Your invoice goes into accounting only when it's paid. Can you explain what's wrong with that?
> Your customers, of course, hate it. Will hate YOU for that.
160 countries around the world have VAT / GST. Haven't seen widespread "HATE" anywhere.