Mark,
Your opinion piece for Property Week (24 January) raises some interesting questions about how taxation of property could evolve from the current rating system.
You asked what is the difference in activity between a warehouse operated by Amazon and a “click and collect” store run by Argos? (more…)
Original article can be found on the Property Week website here
Being a fixed overhead, business rates don’t reflect the changing fortunes of a company. So when there’s a downturn, the rates bill bites even harder.
However, for government — central and local — this makes business rates attractive. While other tax revenues rise and fall with the economy, business rates provide the public sector with a steady flow of revenue — currently £26bn. So all governments are very wary of tinkering with the system. (more…)
