- Morning Advertiser >
- Forums >
- News Article Comments >
- Empty property tax outcry
News Article Comments : Empty property tax outcry
The response to the campaign against empty property tax has been “phenomenal”, with licensees among those showing their opposition.
That’s according to the British Property Federation (BPF), which is calling on licensees to provide evidence of effects of the tax.
The BPF said the tax is crippling large and small businesses, including pubs.
Currently, business owners have to pay full tax rates even if the building is unoccupied. Previously, they were entitled to up to a 50% reduction on empty properties.
BPF head of media, Andrew Teacher, said: “Since launching the campaign we have been in meltdown. Our phone system crashed — it couldn’t handle the calls.”
Teacher said the response had been wide-ranging, from large corporations to individual licensees.
“There is a complete mix calling the BPF. It’s astonishing,” he said.
Since rate-relief scrapping, many businesses are demolishing empty buildings rather than pay the tax.
To date, 35 MPs have signed an Early Day Motion (EDM) to r
| Author Name | Opinion | Reply |
|---|---|---|
d smithers 13/08/2008 20:13:47  |
maybe the government will realise that taxing the a**e off everybody is not the answer to the problems they keep creating for us ? has anyone else noticed the similarities between 2008 and 1978 ? you would have thought voters in the UK would have learnt something from the mistakes of the past! This post replies to this thread |
|
| Kevin Webb 14/08/2008 03:17:09 |
Companies with more than 500 sites should pay the TAX no exceptions, as for knocking down the buildings then the council should take a harder stance and deny all planning consent for the properties. edited by: Kevin Webb at: 14/08/2008 03:17:45 This post replies to this thread |
|
| Forum user 4184 19/08/2008 00:00:58 |
I've had an idea, why dont the poor old property companies ask for tax relief for the suffering tenants and then the publicans may stand a chance of staying in business thus saving the pubcos from closing their properties. This post replies to this thread |
|
J Mark Dodds 19/08/2008 00:15:28 |
Fair Pint's idea is much more straightforward. Make rent and wet supply prices sustainable then the taxpayer won't have to bail anyone out. And if PubCos sit on empty properties - effectively landbanking them - then tax them fairly for keeping them shut and denying the exchequer the taxes they would be generating if they were trading under leases that were sustainable. As for individual lessees complaining that just doesn't make much sense does it? Individual lessees can't afford to keep a premises shut can they? They need to trade to pay the bills. So what is the fuss about? edited by: J Mark Dodds at: 19/08/2008 00:15:44 This post replies to Forum user 4184 > Empty property tax outcry |
