Tax

ALMR urges apprenticeship levy review

Apprenticeship Levy

ALMR urges apprenticeship levy review

By Nikkie Sutton

The Association of Licensed Multiple Operators (ALMR) has called on the Government to postpone the apprentice levy introduction following Brexit.

Trade bodies join forces on VAT campaign

Trade bodies join forces on VAT campaign

By Emily Sutherland

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) and the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) have joined forces to fight for a reduction in the level of VAT pubs pay and to highlight the tax burden facing licensees.

Alcohol figures damaging UK are lies

Beer

The alcohol figures that just don't add up

By Pete Brown

Pete Brown says the industry has suffered for too long over ‘facts’, which serve only to scaremonger the British public when it comes to the UK’s alcohol ‘problem’.

More than 850 Wetherspoon pubs are rated on the FSA’s website

JD Wetherspoon’s food sales slow

By Nicholas Robinson

JD Wetherspoon’s food sales have slowed compared with last year, as the pub giant’s chairman criticises excessive food taxes on pubs and a leading City analyst blames a rise in casual dining.

ALMR to revise tips code

ALMR to revise tips code

By Emily Sutherland

The Association of Multiple Retailers (ALMR) is to re-vise its code of practice to help pub operators navi-gate the tipping minefield that has dominated recent headlines.

Beer sales grow in the on-trade but fall in pubs

Beer

BBPA data: On-trade beer sales fall 2.4%

By M&C Report

The off-trade drove cautious growth in the beer sector with total sales at the end of Q1 up 1.5% year-on-year over the 12 month period.

Tax

Paying tax: Bending the rules could prove costly

By Jason Piper

With swathes of taxation, red tape and bureaucracy seemingly smothering the efforts of licensees to make a decent living, the temptation to bend the rules a little can seem attractive. But such a course could prove a costly mistake. Jason Piper lifts...

Greene King loses tax appeal

Greene King loses tax appeal

By John Harrington

Greene King, the brewer and pub operator, has lost an appeal relating to its tax avoidance scheme and could be forced to pay back roughly twice the amount of tax it tried to avoid.

JD Wetherspoon like-for-like sales rise 5.2%

JD Wetherspoon like-for-like sales rise 5.2%

By John Harrington

JD Wetherspoon has reported a 5.2% rise in like-for-like sales in the 26 weeks to 26 January, with profits before tax and exceptionals up 8.5% to £37.8m.

Tim Martin:

Tim Martin: Partisan pubco chiefs risk alienating their publicans

By Tim Martin

Winston Churchill famously said that democracy was the worst political system - apart from the alternatives. Say what you like about our politicians, but at least none had a stately Spanish galleon in its own artificial lake, like the former Ukrainian...

Government business rates review

Pub property agents welcome business rates reform

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...

Government rules out VAT cut for hospitality sector

Government dashes hopes for tourism VAT cut

By John Harrington

The Government has “no plans” to introduce a VAT cut for the tourism sector, according to Treasury minister David Gauke, who also said reducing VAT to 5% for catering services could cost the Exchequer between £9bn and £10bn per year.

Wetherspoons Christmas sales results

Wetherspoons reports healthy like-for-like sales

By John Harrington

JD Wetherspoon has reported a 6.7% rise in like-for-like sales in the 12 weeks to 19 January although it expects pre-exceptional operating margin for H1 to be slightly lower than in the same period last year.

Martin:

Tim Martin: Why pubs will pay the price for VAT disparity

By Tim Martin

So the chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, Andrew Griffiths MP, a supporter of lower excise duty, remains scathing about the VAT Club, arguing its campaign is “deluded”, and a “pipe dream”. His main reason is the alleged cost of c.£12bn...

Labour government Ed Miliband business rates

Labour 'would cut business rates for small firms'

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.

Tax Parity Day pubs

TCG and Black Sheep sign up to Tax Parity Day

By John Harrington

Managed pub and bar operator TCG and North Yorkshire brewer Black Sheep are the latest companies to say they’ll reduce their prices for a day as part of the industry’s VAT cut campaign.

VAT cut hospitality

Andrew Griffiths MP casts fresh doubt over 5% VAT campaign

By Michelle Perrett

With just weeks to go until Chancellor George Osborne’s Autumn Statement, fresh doubts have been cast over the effectiveness of the VAT Club and its prospects of securing a tax reduction for the hospitality sector in next year’s Budget.

Window of opportunity: promoting your rooms online should attract plenty of interest

How renting rooms can make your pub money

By Andrew Don

Your children have left home and their bedrooms are surplus to requirements. Becoming a genuine ‘inn’ for tourists can offer a lucrative add-on income stream.

David Cameron VAT cut

PM Cameron cool on hospitality VAT cut

By John Harrington

David Cameron has said the leisure and hospitality industry has made a “very good argument” for a reduction in VAT but was cool on the prospect of such a tax cut occurring.

Wetherspoons pub sales

JDW reports positive outlook as like-for-like sales up

By John Harrington

JD Wetherspoon says it expects to achieve a slightly better outcome for its current financial year than previously anticipated, as it reports a 3.5% rise in like-for-like sales in the 11 weeks to 14 July and an increase in operating margins.

VAT campaigners plan national day of action

VAT campaigners plan national day of action

By Mark Wingett

Campaigners aiming to reduce the level of VAT in the hospitality sector from 20% to 5% headed by Jacques Borel are planning to launch a national day of action later this year.

Willock:

VAT campaign: Say it ain’t so, Andrew

By Rob Willock

Fresh from our successful crusade against the hated beer-duty escalator (I received my campaign medal from Hobgoblin last week), a confident pub industry can turn its collective attention to the next battleground.

Tim Martin:

Wetherspoon's profits hit by cost inflation despite sales growth

By John Harrington

JD Wetherspoon has reported a fall in profits and operating margin in the six months to 27 January due to "considerable" cost inflation in the period, despite like-for-like sales growing 6.9% and overall sales rising 10% to £626.4m.

Spotlight

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