Treasury Committee brings its Business Rates inquiry to Birmingham to hear from independent retailers

The Treasury Committee together with the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) are hosting an event about Business Rates and the effect they have on independent retailers and our high streets, on the 20th May. The event will bring together a number of business associations, businesses of all sizes, sole traders, as well as the committee members, to discuss retailer’s views of the tax and to look for solutions for improving the system.

 
The Committee is especially interested in hearing about the impact of Business Rates on different types of businesses and Bira has put forward a number of members to be involved in the inquiry, which cover a range of sectors and sizes.The committees’ inquiry will examine how Business Rates policy has changed, including Business Rates retention, alternatives to property-based taxes, such as the proposed digital services tax, and how changes to Business Rates could impact businesses. The information they hear at this event will help shape the inquiry.
 
Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, says: “This is great news for Bira and it shows that the opinions of our members are being heard and can make a difference. We are delighted to welcome the Treasury Committee to our offices in Birmingham and we are sure that it will be a very productive day, which will get to the heart of the issue.”
 
The event is a result of many years of lobbying by Bira’s Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, which resulted in a 30% reduction in Business Rates for those retailers with a rateable value of £51,000 or below in the last Budget. But Bira’s fight continues- to make rates fairer and to ensure there is a level playing field for bricks and mortar retailers.  

 

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