Agents demand Budget changes

A higher threshold on stamp duty, lower business rates and capital gains relief are what pub property agents are calling for in this month's Budget.

However the agents, like many licensees, are not looking forward to what Chancellor George Osborne will reveal on 23 March.

"We have been seeing some very encouraging signs, so I don't want anything to hamper that," said Stephen Taylor, managing director at Guy Simmonds. "Anything to help a fragile market would be great, but I don't think it will happen."

Christie+Co head of pubs Neil Morgan agreed with Taylor.

"Unfortunately, the pub industry is always the beating stick," he said. "And I can't see anything different happening this year, but it would be good to see if they could have lower rates for sole surviving rural pubs." He would like to see lower VAT rates on food sales in pubs.

Fleurets national head of pubs Simon Hall has stronger views. He said: "The Government have consistently undervalued the contribution the pub trade makes to the economy. It is about time they realised the value of a healthy pub sector."

Hall does not want empty property rate relief to be changed and also backs the Morning Advertiser Thrive on Five campaign.

Inheritance tax​

There were additional hopes from GA Select managing director Graham Allman. He wants inheritance tax to be abolished on commercial businesses as "many licensees are now coming into their 'twilight' years and will wish to pass on some of the benefits of their years of hard work to their families".

He added: "The proposed new Energy Performance Certificate regulations [to make energy efficiency assessments compulsory] should be dropped and not made compulsory in all marketing at the point of taking instructions, and indeed should be looked at in the round as they serve no justifiable purpose other than to raise taxes and create expense to the trade."

Robin Mence, managing director at Sidney Phillips, is concerned about the issue of minimum pricing. "Government needs to address the minimum pricing per unit, more than anything else," he said. "I don't think the stamp duty acts as a deterrent in pub sales."