CBI responds to cuts to business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues

Alice Jeffries, CBI Head of Tax Policy, said:  

“Cuts to business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues will provide more much needed relief for many of those businesses facing some of the sharpest cost pressures. It’s a vital first step that should help put money back into our communities and provide a welcome boost to the country’s nighttime economy.  

“However, with the rates burden rising sharply for nearly all businesses with a physical presence in the UK, the next step must be to press ahead with reform of the whole broken business rates system.  

“The UK's business tax burden is already at a 25-year high, while firms face the highest property tax burdens in the G7. That’s weighing on the UK's growth ambitions, with investment and profitability under strain and job creation showing signs of slowing. 

“The business rates system is crying out for fundamental reform, not further piecemeal changes. It's time to move forward with proposals for a slice-based system, alongside stronger incentives for investment, to create a more competitive tax environment that supports growth, investment and job creation across the whole economy. We look forward to working with the new administration to achieve that."