Business Rates

Publican ordered to pay more than £100,000 after he 'avoided paying business rates'

11-Aug-2017 By Georgina Townshend

A publican was ordered to pay more than £95,000 in unpaid businesses rates and £16,000 in legal costs to Basildon Council last week.

CAMRA calls for £5,000 business rate relief for pubs

07-Aug-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Pubs must sell tens of thousands of extra pints of beer each year to cover the rocketing rise of business rates, according to the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). 

Exclusive

BII chairman’s concerns for pub industry after this year's 'exceptional summer'

28-Jul-2017 By Georgina Townshend

The chairman of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has warned pubs of the potential “quick downturn” in sales after this year’s “exceptional summer” – which will show the full impact of rising costs within the trade.

Pubs in line to save £40m thanks to a business rates tax cut

17-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Proposals to change the indexation for business rates calculations could save pubs and restaurants £40m in the first three years of the change, according to rates experts.

First pubs close due to spiralling business rates

11-Jul-2017 By Michelle Perrett

The first wave of pub closures has started in the wake of spiralling business rates.

'Unfair' rates rises set to cripple top pubs

28-Jun-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Research into some of the UK’s leading operators has highlighted the “unfair and imbalanced nature” of the current business rates regime.

Pub closures predicted as business rates 'set to soar'

27-Jun-2017 By Fred A'Court

There will be a tsunami of pub closures if a promised rates discount payments scheme to protect them isn't extended, a leading specialist company predicts.

Stop using pubs as ‘cash cows’, reform business rates now, says ALMR

20-Jun-2017 By Fred A'Court

The Government should push ahead with a wholesale root and branch reform of the rates system that was promised at this year’s Spring Budget and during election campaigning, the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has said in a letter to...

CAMRA urges next government to ‘keep business rates pledge’

15-Jun-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Ahead of the Queen’s Speech (due on Monday 19 June), the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has called on the Government to deliver on its manifesto pledges to review the business rates system and “relieve the burden” on the pub sector.

General Election 2017

Pub agenda ‘must not be delayed’ by hung parliament

09-Jun-2017 By Georgina Townshend Claire Churchard

Leading figures in the pub industry have warned that progress on issues that affect pubs must not be delayed by the hung parliament election result.

General election 2017

General election 2017: manifesto round-up

06-Jun-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

With the snap general election just hours away (Thursday 8 June), The Morning Advertiser has summarised what each party has pledged for pubs.

Licensees call for urgent resolution of delayed rates discounts

31-May-2017 By Liam Coleman

Ongoing delays in sending out business rates discounts to pubs have prompted licensees and pub industry bodies to call for greater urgency.

General Election 2017

Tories promise long-term reforms to business rates system

18-May-2017 By Georgina Townshend

The Conservative Party has admitted that the business rates system “presents considerable challenges” to small businesses and has promised to make longer-term reforms in its pre-election manifesto.

General Election 2017

Labour sticks with promise to probe pub demise

16-May-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Labour has stuck with its promise to launch an investigation into the demise of pubs if the party is voted into power.

General Election 2017

Large-scale demise of pubs will be probed, pledges leaked Labour manifesto

11-May-2017 By Georgina Townshend

The Labour Party wants to set up a national review of pubs to examine the causes for their “large-scale demise”, according to a leaked draft manifesto.

BBPA restates stance on business rates after pubco’s criticism

10-May-2017 By Georgina Townshend

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has reiterated its demand for radical business rates reform after Tim Bird, owner-operator of Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars, criticised trade bodies for being “too late” in calling for change.

General election 2017

BBPA manifesto calls for £25,000 business rates assistance package for pubs

08-May-2017 By Georgina Townshend

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has called for pubs to receive a £25,000 business-rates assistance package over the duration of the next parliament in its manifesto ahead of the general election.

Business rates reform ‘critical’ as ‘burden reaches tipping point’

05-May-2017 By Claire Churchard, Georgina Townshend

Fundamental business-rates reform is “even more critical” now the country faces the challenges of negotiating its future relationship with Europe, a group of eight leading trade bodies has told the main political parties.

General election will not delay business rates relief, says DCLG

25-Apr-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Access to discretionary business rates relief payments for pubs will not be delayed by the snap general election, the DCLG has confirmed.

Don’t forget business rates pledges ahead of election, ALMR tells minister

24-Apr-2017 By Georgina Townshend

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has called on the Government to “stick to its promises” for pub rates relief after communities secretary Sajid Javid said business rates reforms were not a “priority issue”.

Rates saving of £105m for Tesco as pubs see increases

18-Apr-2017 By Liam Coleman

Tesco is set for a substantial cut in business rates over the next five years, despite pubs across the country suffering a hike in rates.

Thousands of pubs’ business rates appeals ‘sitting in limbo’

03-Apr-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

Business rates appeals submitted by thousands of pubs from 2010 are still waiting for a hearing, despite a new tax regime having started on Saturday, it has been revealed. 

ALMR slams ‘irony’ of DCLG tax cut as rates soar for nearby pubs

17-Mar-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Industry body the ALMR has criticised the Government office that oversees business rates for accepting a tax cut for its site in central London while ramping up business rates for the pubs closest to it.

Budget 2017: six things for pubs to look out for

07-Mar-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Concerns about rises in business rates and the potential fallout of Brexit means pubs up and down the country are hoping chancellor Phillip Hammond will offer them some financial respite in the budget on 8 March.

Exclusive

Industry bodies to urge minister to ‘stop extraordinary pubs rates rises’

02-Mar-2017 By Liam Coleman

Three pub industry bodies and a group of MPs plan to write an open letter to government communities secretary Sajid Javid urging the minister to take "immediate action” to stop the “extraordinary rises in business rates for pubs”.

Trade bodies strengthen calls for rates relief and reform

01-Mar-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) and the Association for Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) have intensified calls for business rate relief for pubs.

Tim Martin: pubs 'destined for further decline' without tax relief

23-Feb-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

JD Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin has hit out at the Government’s upcoming business rates rises and tax inequality, which will see his pubco hit with a bill of millions.

Greg Mulholland tables early day motion on business rates

23-Feb-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

Liberal Democrat MP and pub campaigner Greg Mulholland has tabled an early day motion (EDM) calling for the Government to take action to cap controversial business rates rises for pubs and restaurants.

BT Sport announces price freeze

22-Feb-2017 By Liam Coleman

BT Sport will not raise the prices of its subscription packages when the new business rates are announced in April, the broadcaster has confirmed.

Trio of rates experts to advise Ei licensees

21-Feb-2017 By Liam Coleman

Ei Group plc, the pubco formally known as Enterprise Inns, has teamed up with business rates experts to offer its licensees no-win-no-fee rates advice.

'False claims' about business rates angers ALMR

20-Feb-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has criticised claims that the media is peddling mistruths about business rates changes.

Business rates contribute to one in five pub closures, claims exclusive BBC research

16-Feb-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

High business rates have contributed to one in five pub closures in England and Wales over the past six years, an exclusive BBC Radio 4 investigation has claimed.

Amazon deal highlights 'unfair' business rates system says ALMR

14-Feb-2017 By Liam Coleman

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has reiterated its calls for transitional business rate relief for pubs after online retailer Amazon was given a business rates cut.

Industry unites to lead battle for business rates reform

17-Jan-2017 By Liam Coleman

A unified front led by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) and British Pub Confederation (BPC) chair, Greg Mulholland, is set to fight for fairer business rates for licensees.

Business rates

Restaurant and pub senior executives call on PM to help industry

19-Dec-2016 By Michelle Perrett

More than 20 chief executives of restaurant and pub groups have urged the Prime Minister Theresa May to help the sector by considering a VAT cut, extending transitional relief on business rates and reducing the national insurance burden.

Autumn Statement

Save the Pub Group demands beer duty freeze should be kept

22-Nov-2016 By Nikkie Sutton

The All-Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group has called on the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, to maintain the freeze on beer duty, ahead of his first Autumn Statement tomorrow (23 November).

Business rates

Operators urged to ‘check, challenge and appeal’ business rates

17-Nov-2016 By Nicole Sutton

BNP Paribas Real Estate urged delegates at the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailer’s (ALMR) Autumn Conference to be aware of their rights when it comes to business rates.

Business Rates

Business rates hike will hit pubs warns Young’s CEO

11-Nov-2016 By Sara Hussein

An “exceptional” rise in business rates will have a detrimental effect on pubs, Young’s chief executive officer Patrick Dardis has warned. 

Business rates

Licensees hit back at business rates revaluation

01-Nov-2016 By Helen Gilbert

London pubs will be among the hardest hit when the business rates revaluation comes into force next April, new research has revealed. 

Business rates

Business rates revaluations shock high-turnover and south-east pubs

14-Oct-2016 By Oli Gross

The cat is out of the bag – the Government’s business rates revaluation has turned out to be a post-code lottery, providing small cuts in rates for a majority of licensees, but disproportionately hitting high-turnover pubs in the south-east with massive...

Business rates

Business rates hike: 'I think I may go out of business'

03-Oct-2016 By Oli Gross

Licensees have expressed fears that expected hikes in business rates next year are set to force them out of business.

Trade bodies call for fairer business rates

11-Jul-2016 By Oli Gross

As a Government business rates consultation comes to a close, trade bodies have called for reforms to make the system fairer for licensees, and support a move to more frequent revaluations of rates.

Legislation

Queen's speech outlines new laws affecting pubs

18-May-2016 By Oli Gross

The Queen confirmed the Government’s intention to devolve powers to councils in her speech today, with local authorities' retention of business rates set to be enshrined by legislation.

Mixed reaction to business rates relief

24-Mar-2016 By Emily Sutherland

Chancellor George Osborne’s alterations to business rates in his latest Budget has been welcomed by some in the industry but others think a complete overhaul of the system is needed to ease the ever-increasing tax burden on pubs. Emily Sutherland reports

Devastated licensee warns rates reform "too late" as scrapped retail relief & living wage pushes pubs to brink

09-Mar-2016 By Emily Sutherland

Long promised reform to business rates cannot come soon enough for one licensee, who warned the double whammy of higher rates bills and the national living wage is pushing many pubs to the brink.

Comment

Wetherspoons founder hits out on VAT: 'It's the maths, stupid'

07-Jan-2016 By Tim Martin

Despite leaving the VAT Club, Tim Martin speaks out in typically forthright fashion on the tax burden of the pub trade. 

Business rates

Will new appeals system help prevent unfair business rates?

06-Jan-2016 By Oli Gross

A proposal to help licensees struggling with incorrect business rates has been broadly welcomed but industry leaders fear a new appeal system may not do enough for publicans.

Autumn statement

Licensees 'distraught' after extra tax burden is revealed

03-Dec-2015 By Oli Gross

Licensees have reacted angrily to the news that three quarters of pubs will have to stomach an extra £1,500 a year tax burden, which could be the tipping point “between life and death” for many businesses.

Legislation

Autumn Statement reaction: Punitive tax hike risks endangering livelihoods

25-Nov-2015 By Oli Gross

As George Osborne unveiled Government's spending plans, it was what he didn’t say that grabbed the trade’s attention.

Autumn Statement: £1,500 extra pub tax labelled "catastrophic"

25-Nov-2015 By Oli Gross

Despite George Osborne's extension of small business rate relief for another year in the autumn spending review, the majority of pubs could see a £1,500 tax increase.