Retailers lobby political parties on business rates

Mr Rogers said BRC’s business rates body will lobby the political parties to reform business rates around four key principles. These include reducing the burden of the tax, ensuring the tax moves in line with the economic climate, is shared across industries, and includes incentives for investment from businesses.

In February, the BRC team presented four potential alternatives to business rates, including a tax on energy usage.

However, rather than attempting to build support for one of those options, the BRC will today announce that it has decided to focus its efforts on ensuring changes to business rates adhere to its four principles.

Mr Rogers said: “Now is the time to engage with political parties.” The supermarket executive said the fact certain types of property are exempt from business rates - such as farmland - showed the tax is “not fit for purpose”.

He added: “Our work has brought together small and large businesses from across sectors and businesses, but particularly from manufacturing who are also victims of our outdated system of business rates.

“We believe a new consensus has emerged that sends the powerful message that business rates aren’t a retail problem, but a business problem.”

Brandon Lewis, the High Street Minister, said the Government had already provided £1bn of business rates support for companies, which was included in last year’s Autumn Statement.

He said: “The Government’s long term economic plan is supporting business, local shops and the high street with taxes which are lower and more efficient.

“Looking forward our business rates review is considering options for longer-term administrative reform of business rates after 2017 that balance the need for the system to deliver simplicity, fairness, stability and predictability to ratepayers.”

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