By Leah Montebello Taxi firms could be forced to up their prices by a fifth as Uber calls for cabbies across the country to pay VAT on their journeys. A court hearing is expected to be handed down this week after the ride-hailing giant sued Sefton Council about VAT terms operating outside of London. Since the 1970s, private hire journeys have not been eligible for VAT as the driver was treated as the principal for tax purposes, and their earnings fell below the required threshold. However, a series of rulings have raised question marks over this situation. Not only did a Supreme Court ruling f…