Business rates - Hospitality

Pubs paying second highest business rates bill in UK

23-Nov-2015 By Emily Sutherland

British pubs are carrying one of the heaviest tax burdens in the UK economy according to a new report from Oxford Economics, paying six times more than justified.

Legislation

Demand for fairer deal on rates

19-Nov-2015 By Mike Berry

Industry bodies have joined forces to demand a fairer deal for pubs on business rates in next week’s Autumn Statement.

Business rates

Pubs to be charged to appeal business rates as part of system shake-up

30-Oct-2015 By Mike Berry

Licensees wanting to challenge their business rates bills will have to pay a fee in future under new government proposals.

Caution over business rates revise

19-Oct-2015 By Emily Sutherland

The trade has given George Osborne’s shake-up of business rates a cautious welcome, despite some fears that squeezed councils will use pubs as ‘cash cows’ to generate extra income.

Business rates

Business rate changes labelled 'unhelpful'

05-Oct-2015 By Emily Sutherland

Chancellor George Osborne’s announcement that uniform business rates will be scrapped and councils allowed to keep all the proceeds has been labelled ‘unhelpful’ by trade bodies.

Honesty urged for new business rates

21-Sep-2015 By Michelle Perrett

The 2017 rates at your pub are being set soon. Michelle Perrett finds out why your details must be accurate.

enterprise bill

Government "can do more" to help pubs - despite saving businesses £25m

18-Sep-2015 By Oli Gross

The industry has welcomed an assessment of the Enterprise Bill - which claims it will save businesses £25m a year in total – but some insist “more can be done” to help reduce costs for pubs.

Industry fights back on business rates

17-Jun-2015 By Emily Sutherland

Trade leaders and licensees have rallied for urgent reform of the business rates system after it emerged England’s pubs are paying a staggering £500m more than their fair share.

Pubs 'will lose out' in next business rates revaluation

31-Mar-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

Pubs and restaurants risk losing out in the 2017 rating revaluation as the Uniform Business Rate (UBR) is likely to be set at 50p in the pound, a property advisor has warned.

Beware tinkering with business rates

26-Mar-2015 By David Morgan

Adopting the results of an LGA survey that calls for more powers for local councils must be treated with caution, says David Morgan, director at Morgan & Clarke chartered surveyors

'Root and branch' review of business rates launched

17-Mar-2015 By James Wallin, M&C Report

The Government has launched its root and branch review of business rates.

Majority of firms support locally-set business rates

02-Mar-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

More than two-thirds of UK businesses agree that councils should be able to set business rates locally, a national poll has revealed.

Autumn Statement: Chancellor extends business rates support for pubs

03-Dec-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Chancellor George Osborne has promised to double small business rate relief (SBRR) for another year and increase high street discounts on rates by 50% to £1,500.

Better Rates for Pubs: Trade calls for action from Chancellor over business rates

20-Nov-2014 By Mike Berry

A coalition of trade bodies — as well as the Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA) — has called on the Chancellor to give further support to the pub sector through business rates reform in next month’s Autumn Statement.

Business rates 'should be set by local councils'

12-Nov-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Local councils should be given powers to set their own levels of business rates, the Local Government Association (LGA) has proposed.

Business rate revaluation date set for 1 April 2015

07-Nov-2014 By Mike Berry

The Government has announced that business rates assessments from 2017 onwards will be based on a property’s rental value on 1 April 2015.

Pubs to face £350 business rates hike unless multiplier is frozen, warns BBPA

14-Oct-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has warned that each pub could face a £350 hike in its business rates bill if the Government does not announce a freeze in the tax multiplier in December's Autumn Statement.

Demand for fair business rates

26-Sep-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Last week, more than 100 companies, including leading firms in the pub trade, signed an open letter calling for an overhaul of the business rates system. They labelled the tax as a “critical problem” that is “no longer fit for the 21st century”. Ahead...

Miliband pledges to cut business rates but Cable stays silent on reduction for pubs

22-Sep-2014 By James Wallin

The Labour Party is set to commit to a 1% cut in business rates if it wins next year’s general election.

Leading industry figures sign open letter demanding business rates overhaul

16-Sep-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

More than 100 companies, including leading firms in the pub trade, have signed an open letter calling for an overhaul of the business rates system.

Shepherd Neame business rates appeals save tenants £400k

19-Aug-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Shepherd Neame has successfully appealed the business rates of almost a third of its tenanted pubs, providing total savings of over £400,000.

Government must overhaul business rates system, says ALMR

10-Jun-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has called for the Government to overhaul the current business rates system to “reduce the burden” on the industry.

Government ‘would consider business rates assessment change for pubs’

09-May-2014 By James Wallin

Community pubs minister Brandon Lewis has for the first time said the Government would consider changing the way business rates are assessed for pubs.

Licensee tells Prime Minister business rates are 'crippling' rural pubs

17-Apr-2014 By Helen Gilbert

A North Yorkshire publican has written to the Prime Minister warning him that village pubs will struggle to survive unless action is taken to address “crippling” and “ever increasing” business rates.

Government consults pubs on business rates

10-Apr-2014 By Helen Gilbert

Pubs and bars are being urged to share their views on business rates in a new consultation.

MPs urge 'fundamental reform' of business rates

04-Mar-2014 By John Harrington

An influential committee of MPs has added its voice to calls for “fundamental” reform of the business rates system.

Business rates based on energy usage would be 'very problematic'

26-Feb-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Creating a new business rates system based on energy usage rather than rateable value would be “very problematic” — that’s the warning from a leading energy consultant for pubs, after the British Retail Consortium (BRC) put forward the proposal last week.

Pub property agents welcome business rates reform

14-Feb-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Property agents have welcomed a potential reform of business rates, stating that the current system is an “over complicated, onerous tax burden” to the pub trade, following the Government’s announcement outlining the details of the upcoming rates review...

Business rates review 'to look at more frequent revaluations'

14-Feb-2014 By John Harrington

The Government has confirmed that it will look at whether business rates revaluations should occur more frequently and also examine the valuation methods.

Think tank urges business rates reform

06-Feb-2014 By Fiona Griffiths

Think-tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has called for urgent reform of Britain’s business rates system.

Autumn Statement: Industry responses to pub-friendly measures

05-Dec-2013 By Ellie Bothwell

The pub industry has responded to Chancellor George Osborne's Autumn Statement, in which he has promised to ease the burden of business rates and extend small business rate relief.

Multiple operator hits out at ‘crazy’ business rates system after 15K hike

05-Dec-2013 By Michelle Perrett

A multiple operator has accused the business rates system of being “flawed” and “crazy” after facing a hike of almost £15,000 a year in business rates at just one site.

PMA readers raging about their rates

28-Nov-2013 By Mike Berry

The results are in, and they don’t make for pretty reading. Licensees that responded to our survey on business rates delivered an emphatically damning verdict on the current system and the damaging impact it is having on their pubs.

Licensees demand Govt eases the business rates burden

26-Nov-2013 By Mike Berry

Publican’s Morning Advertiser readers are demanding that the Government takes action to reduce the burden of business rates on their pubs, and simplify the system.

Lincolnshire licensee seeks change of use to cut business rates

13-Nov-2013 By Ellie Bothwell

A Lincolnshire licensee is battling to change the use of his building from a pub to a nightclub, after estimating that the move would reduce his business rates by around £50,000 a year.

PMA and trade associations lobby MPs to support Better Rates for Pubs

07-Nov-2013 By Ellie Bothwell

The Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA) and a range of trade associations are calling for MPs to support the campaign for lower and fairer business rates.

Petition urges rates relief for pop-ups

05-Nov-2013 By John Harrington

A petition has been launched urging retailers of ‘pop-up’ premises to be able to qualify for three months’ business rates relief.

Business rates in a state

30-Oct-2013 By Rob Willock

I’m going to step away from the thorny issue of pubco regulation this week, despite the temptation to comment on the latest moves from either side of the divide to influence the imminent Government announcement on its plans to legislate or not. Instead,...

Trade associations join forces to launch 'Better Rates for Pubs' campaign

22-Oct-2013 By Michelle Perrett

A range of trade associations have joined together to launch a campaign on business rates called‘Better Rates for Pubs’

Pub property agents welcome Labour Party business rates plan

01-Oct-2013 By Gurjit Degun

Pub property agents have welcomed Ed Miliband’s commitment to freeze business rates for small firms if there is a Labour Government, but are sceptical as to whether it would go ahead.

Labour 'would cut business rates for small firms'

24-Sep-2013 By John Harrington

A Labour Government would freeze business rates for smaller firms and reverse a planned cut in corporate tax for larger companies, party leader Ed Miliband is expected to announce at Labour’s Conference today.

High street review calls for levy and 2015 business rates revaluation

04-Sep-2013 By Gurjit Degun

A new report into the future of high streets has called for a one-off levy for businesses, and for the Government to reintroduce the 2015 business rates revaluation.

One in four Star pubs secure business rates cut

08-Aug-2013 By Michelle Perrett

Star Pubs & Bars, the Heineken-owned leased pub operator, says more than one in four of its lessees has undergone successful appeals of their business rates.

CVS renews campaign calling on Gov't to freeze business rates and improve system

06-Feb-2013 By Gurjit Degun

Business rates firm CVS is renewing its campaign that calls on the Government for a freeze in business rates and to improve the system.

How to get a business rates reduction at your pub

19-Dec-2012 By Don Baker

All businesses in the leisure sector are facing hefty business rates charges, none more so than pubs. The annual increase in rates bills is running at odds with the wider economic conditions — property values and turnover are falling while business rates...

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