UKHospitality calls for business rates relief cap rethink

Early this month, the Chancellor announced in the Budget a full business rates holiday for all hospitality businesses for the first quarter of the financial year (Apr-Jun) and then two-thirds off for the remainder of the year (Jul 21-Mar 22).

However, a cap of £2 million on relief available to individual firms means that a significant proportion of the sector will miss out on the benefits.

The new cap will typically affect businesses with either large sites or those companies that have grown to multiple sites, along with businesses in high rental areas such as high streets and city centres.

It is also likely to penalise operators who have previously invested to improve their sites, therefore resulting in higher rates bills under the current system.

UKHospitality is warning that the business rates relief cap will jeopardise the futures of thousands of hospitality venues, which will face full rates bills within weeks following the unrestricted opening of the sector planned for June.

Remaining ratepayers will also begin having to pay rates bills before they are able to afford to do so.

A further 1,850 venues would face the same situation before the end of September

UKHospitality says this will likely prompt businesses to look at slashing costs, such as closing unviable sites, cutting jobs or holding back investment.

As a solution, the trade body is calling on the Treasury to extend the period for which the 100% rates relief (uncapped) would apply from three to six months.

It proposes that this move is balanced by a reduction in the level of relief for the remainder of the year to 50%.

The move would support cashflow for all sizes of operation, as well as assisting those businesses that will have limited demand during the summer.

“While the Budget was broadly positive for the hospitality sector with a range of welcome measures, the cap on business rates support really took the shine off things, by excluding so many potential recipients,” says chief executive Kate Nicholls. 

“For all rate-paying hospitality businesses, their bills will begin landing in June, with demands for payment before they are back on their feet. July is simply too early for businesses to be expected to start repaying rates after a devastating year of closure, restrictions and accumulation of debt.”