Shops Still Pay £1bn In Rates Business Despite Holiday

Shops have handed over almost £1 billion to English Councils in business rates since the onset of the pandemic despite the current holiday, it has emerged.

The Government, which has invested more than £280 billion in business support during the last year, gave premises in those sectors most adversely affected from the economic impact of coronavirus like retail, leisure and hospitality a complete business rates holiday for 2020/21 writing off property tax bills.

But the holiday didn’t cover those properties vacant and to let with the real estate adviser Altus Group saying that the exclusion has left Landlords with tax liabilities of £924 million this current financial year for their empty shops. 

Empty rates are a penalty to try and bring properties back into use quickly with Landlords only exempt from business rates on empty buildings for just 3 months. After this time most Landlords must pay full business rates although some properties can get extended empty property relief like industrial premises.

Robert Hayton, UK President of Property Tax at Altus Group says “the acceleration of the structural changes taking place across our high streets and these seismic changes to the fabric of the retail sector mean that empty rates are ripe for modernisation as part of the Treasury’s ‘fundamental review’. Rate free periods need to be extended to reflect the time that it actually takes to re-let vacant properties. Failure to do so will stifle investment in our communities.” 

The acquisition of the Debenhams and Arcadia brands by Boohoo and ASOS is likely to see all 562 stores across the UK coming vacant and to-let with Landlords potentially having to face annual empty rates of £50 million for Debenhams and £91 million for Arcadia Group stores after the short exemption period unless new tenants can be found once possession is taken back.

The Centre for Retail Research say around 358 retail stores each and every week will close during 2021 forecasting that a further 18,620 will close this year an expected increase of 18.2% on the 2020 calendar year.

Business rates are devolved to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Source : Altus Group

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