We had Dan Neidl, an influential tax lawyer attack the need for a VAT cut for hospitality, and other industries are starting to add their voices, complaining to Government that they shouldn’t treat hospitality as a special case.
The frustration here for me is that we’re not asking Government to treat hospitality as a special case. We’re asking for balance and fairness.
Ours is a sector that is being taxed to the hilt and slowly strangled out of existence by excessive Government taxation levels on top of inflationary cost increases that have seen energy prices spike for our sector, along with other cost factors.
Business rates is a case in point with many pub and bar operators being faced with excessively high increases, until the Government frantically stepped in with relief, having failed to deliver the reform they promised in their manifesto.
VAT fast and effective
VAT is an effective and simple lever for Government to pull, and they know it - why else would they have launched a summer VAT cut for families events and kids meals?
We’re not asking for handouts, we’re not asking to be bailed out or given any kind of special treatment. We’re asking for better taxation and reform that removes the chokehold on our businesses.
We’ve lost more than 100,000 jobs since this Government started with it’s “business friendly” budgetary decisions, and two pubs a day are now closing their doors for good.
Pubs are a cultural legacy, gifted down to us from the generations before. This is 1,000 plus years of an industry that has been moulded around our culture, an industry that has evolved and changed, but always sat at the hearts of the communities they’ve served.
Social value
The social value of pubs alone should set them apart, the good work they do in supporting community groups, grassroots sports, social clubs and bringing together the lonely to find support and camaraderie.
They should be set apart, but we’re not asking for that.
We’re asking for fairness.
We’re asking for Government to take the boot of taxation from our throats and give us the chance to breathe.
The chance to rebuild.
The chance to invest, employ and kickstart the engine of our stuttering economy back into life.
We’re asking Government to believe in hospitality again, to support us through balance and equity, not bail outs or hand outs.
Reform and fairness.
It’s not a lot to ask, but it will make a massive difference to a sector that has been on its knees for far too long.
