Business Rates

What's in the news 16 June

Review of the Week

Reasons to be cheerful

By Ed Bedington

The MA's Ed Bedington caught up with the BII's Steve Alton to take a look at the week's events, from epic cycle rides to positive news on business rates and beyond.

Non-Domestic Rates bill: the workload passed to ratepayers will increase and counter the pledge made by Tory leaders says Colliers (credit: getty/andresr)

Business rates reform will cost sector even more

By Gary Lloyd

The promised reform of business rates will not cut costs for the sector but will, conversely, include a 7.1% increase in rateable values, according to property expert Colliers.

Budget offers puns but no support

SPRING BUDGET 2023

Sadly, it's not a joke Mr Hunt

By Ed Bedington

“British ale is warm, but the duty on a pint is frozen” were the words uttered by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and the flippancy of his remark sums up the level of care this Government appears to have for the hospitality sector.

New rateable values: business rates to fall 17% for pubs but reductions do not go far enough according to Altus Group (Credit: Getty/John Lamb)

Business rates to fall by 17%

By Rebecca Weller

Business rates for pubs are set to fall by more than £247m under the 2023 revaluation of business properties, according to real estate advisers Altus Group.

Autumn Statement fails pubs on VAT

Autumn Statement

Crumbs of comfort as VAT pleas ignored

By Ed Bedington

Well, we knew it was going to be grim, and any suggestion of support was going to be highly unlikely, but those who were hoping for VAT reform will have been left dismayed by the Chancellor's Autumn Statement.

Last orders: the number of pubs vanishing has increased by half (50%) over the past 12 weeks, according to Altus Group (image: Getty/dmbaker)

50 pubs vanish per month

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Some 50 pubs a month are now disappearing from communities across England and Wales, real estate adviser Altus Group has warned today (Monday 10 October).

Soaring costs: Altus Group has predicted business rates will increase by more than £2bn if they are based on the inflation rate of August (image: Getty/Eoneren)

Inflation signals £2.66bn business rates hike

By Nikkie Thatcher

Should last month (August)’s inflation rate be repeated in September, business rates will soar by more than £2bn next year without Government intervention, experts have claimed.

CARF payments: two fifths of councils still not issued payments despite deadline fast approaching (Credit: Getty/DragonImages)

Councils still not issuing Covid payments

By Rebecca Weller

More than two fifths of councils have not begun making payments to businesses from the Covid Additional Relief Fund (CARF) support package, meaning thousands of businesses could miss out on £700m, research from property consultancy Gerald Eve has revealed.

Coronavirus impact: according to Simply Business, independent pubs and restaurants have lost about £40,000 each as a result of the pandemic (image: Getty/itsarasak thithuekthak)

1 in 3 firms fear running out of cash

By Nikkie Thatcher

As many as 32% of small business owners are worried about running out of money as the cost-of-living crisis bites, data has found.

Make-or-break moment: Government must give sector due consideration with proposed online tax (Credit: Getty/DragonImages)

UKH and BBPA call for online sales tax

By Rebecca Weller

UKHospitality (UKH) and the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) have shown support for the Government’s proposed online sales tax but warned the sector must be given due consideration to level the playing field and avoid double-taxation.

The Morning Advertiser Lock In Podcast episode 40

The Lock In Podcast

The challenges of outdoor trading

By Ed Bedington

With summer threatening, the Lock In team take a look at whether pubs are ready or not for outdoor trading, looking at some of the challenges, and how recent legislative changes have impacted on the classic pub garden.

What's in the news 25 March

The MA's Review of the Week

'Deaf ear at the heart of Government'

By Ed Bedington

The MA's Ed Bedington caught up with UK Hospitality's Kate Nicholls to discuss the week's big developments including the disappointment of the Spring Statement and the challenges facing the sector down the line.

Lacking vital support: business rates discount of 50% welcome but will help only the smallest businesses in the sector (Credit: Getty/stocknshares)

SPRING STATEMENT MARCH 2022

50% business rates relief for eligible hospitality businesses

By Rebecca Weller

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced a temporary 50% business rates relief for eligible hospitality businesses up to £110,000, worth £1.7bn for small businesses and effective from next month, as part of the 2022 Spring Statement.

Are pubs fighting for support?

No time to sit on our hands

By Ed Bedington

And so, with screaming tyres and a whiff of burning (or is that hypocrisy), the Government has yanked on the handbrake and skidded us 180 degrees out of the pandemic.

BBPA calls for three-yearly business rates cycle: pubs pay more in business, per pound of turnover, than any other business sector (Credit: Getty/ Image Source)

BBPA calls for exemptions on new business rates review

By Rebecca Weller

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has called for exemptions to the proposed ‘Duty to Notify’ requirements for pubs detailed as part of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Community and Treasury’s joint technical consultation on moving...

Information wanted: those wishing to submit evidence need to do so by Wednesday 17 February (image: Getty/akinbostanci)

APPBG calls for evidence in business rates inquiry

By Nikkie Thatcher

The All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group (APPBG) is conducting an inquiry into business rates and is calling for evidence and reform ideas from licensees, organisations and other interested parties.

Doors shut: the figures found the number of pubs being converted or demolished was broadly in line with the previous two years (image: Getty/Pratchaya)

37 pubs a month ‘vanished’ in 2021

By Nikkie Thatcher

More than 400 pubs have disappeared from communities in England and Wales this year compared to a year earlier, figures have revealed.

Operator reaction: 'a 5% reduction in duty is not even a drop in the ocean but it is good news,' says licensee of the Plough and Barleycorn in the Isle of Wight, Gav Young

opinion

'Pubs are now the sickly child of the high street'

By Gav Young, the Plough and Barleycorn, Isle of Wight

So the red tops are awash with pictures of Boris and Rishi holding pints aloft as they declare not only a duty freeze but a 3p reduction, of course there is much small print including the cut not coming into force until 2023 or, indeed, on kegs under...

How should operators respond to increased prices?

Opinion

Tsunami of increases on the way

By Ed Bedington

Our fearless leader, when he’s not on his hols in the middle of a major crisis, recently announced the wonderful news that his ambition for the UK was for it to become a high wage economy.

Change needed: the FSB is the latest organisation to highlight the issues with the current business rates system (image: Getty/Rob Daly)

Federation of Small Businesses joins calls for business rates reform

By Michelle Perrett

Small firms should not be penalised with a higher business rates bill for greening their premises or improving staff wellbeing with new amenities, while childcare providers should be granted rates relief, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has said...

Government announcement: the business rates holiday was first announced last year, as the pandemic began to hit (image: Getty/pcess609)

Business rates holiday ending

By Nikkie Thatcher

Full business rates will return this week (from Thursday 1 July) after a 15-month exemption period amid the pandemic.