Business Rates - Fair or Unfair
Discussion
Not a business owner but in our area (Scotland) there seems to be massive increase in business rates, understand the requirement for rates but when does it get to the point of Government Local Authority being just greedy and putting businesses and local jobs at risk.
The example I am going to use is a Hotel who's rates last year were £92,000 and this year have received a figure of £197,000. Yes an increase of £105,000, either they were paying far too little over the years or government / local authority see easy pickings.
Seems in the area there are varying % increases, should any increase not be the same across the board ?
How are these worked out and how are businesses meant to work to such increases that can / will only affect their business and employees.
Government Greed ?
The example I am going to use is a Hotel who's rates last year were £92,000 and this year have received a figure of £197,000. Yes an increase of £105,000, either they were paying far too little over the years or government / local authority see easy pickings.
Seems in the area there are varying % increases, should any increase not be the same across the board ?
How are these worked out and how are businesses meant to work to such increases that can / will only affect their business and employees.
Government Greed ?
Interesting, but can't fathom such an increase, the hotel has 36 bedrooms, restaurant and function hall. Current owners have invested a lot of money over the last few years when they purchased the hotel from near ruin.
Area could be prime housing land.
Understand that rates have to be paid but just find such an increase as desperation and indicates how local authorities are struggling to generate cash.
Should government / local authority come to a point where they HAVE to stop taking and start reviewing internal areas such as their pension funding for all their employees.
Towns are been cleared of local businesses and turned into streets of charity shops which I believe pay no rates but yet there will be people at the top taking money out of the charity for salary etc.
I am all for charity but no town will survive only full of charity shops.
Another example in the area is someone purchased an old factory, been sitting empty for a lot of years, they are planning on building on the land, what is unknown yet.
This year they received a rate bill for £50,000 for an area that is currently making no money, seemingly if there is roof on the building rates can be charged.
What have they done, knocked the building down to remove building rates .
Area could be prime housing land.
Understand that rates have to be paid but just find such an increase as desperation and indicates how local authorities are struggling to generate cash.
Should government / local authority come to a point where they HAVE to stop taking and start reviewing internal areas such as their pension funding for all their employees.
Towns are been cleared of local businesses and turned into streets of charity shops which I believe pay no rates but yet there will be people at the top taking money out of the charity for salary etc.
I am all for charity but no town will survive only full of charity shops.
Another example in the area is someone purchased an old factory, been sitting empty for a lot of years, they are planning on building on the land, what is unknown yet.
This year they received a rate bill for £50,000 for an area that is currently making no money, seemingly if there is roof on the building rates can be charged.
What have they done, knocked the building down to remove building rates .
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