CORONA CRISIS TIME TO SLASH THE HIGHER STREET TAX ‘Bring shops in line with online post-pandemic’
CAMPAIGNERS are calling on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to end the tax imbalance between wealthy web giants and the battered British high streets.
So far this year, retailers reeling from coronavirus have announced a wave of store closures and at least 60,000 job losses as they struggle to compete with their online rivals.
Mr Sunak has already granted a yearlong rates holiday to retail, leisure and hospitality firms.
But campaigners say Government plans for a two per cent levy on online sales will raise just £350million – a “drop in the ocean” compared with the multibillion pound profits of web giants who legally minimise their tax returns.
Experts estimate that five of the biggest firms made UK profits of £8.1billion in 2018 but paid only £237million in taxes.
Unfair
Paul Monaghan of campaign group Fair Tax Mark said: “We need to act to redress the unfair playing field that many of our businesses face from competitors who aren’t making a fair contribution.
“This helps both the national coffers and the local high street alike.”
In 2018, Amazon paid just £63million in business rates on reported sales of £8.8billion in Britain. In contrast, Marks & Spencer pays about £184million in rates on annual sales of £10.7billion, while Tesco pays £700million on sales of £63.9billion.
At least 40 high street retailers have collapsed this year, the Centre for Retail Research said. Many had already been struggling with high rents and rates before the lockdown.
Shop workers’ union Usdaw has called for better public transport and cuts in parking charges and taxes to boost town centres.
It also criticised Mr Sunak for excluding retail in his mini budget, which saw VAT cuts for hospitality companies. General secretary Paddy Lillis said: “Bricks and mortar retailers are more than paying their fair share.”
Bridget Phillipson, Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury said the union was “right to push for a better deal for our high streets”.
Down’s campaigners wed
A DISABLED couple have tied the knot after spending three months apart in lockdown.
Heidi Cowter, 25, and James Carter, 26, married in a socially-distanced church ceremony that has since been watched more than 11,000 times on Youtube.
The pair, who have Down’s syndrome, were forced to stay apart because of Covid-19 travel restrictions – with James at his family home in Weymouth and Heidi 180 miles away in Coventry.
Disability rights activist Heidi was so desperate to get hitched she even wrote to Boris Johnson, who appeared to answer her prayers by lifting the wedding ban on July 4.
The couple had to cut their guest list of 220 down to just 30, but were joined online by more than 1,200 well-wishers from across the world.
Heidi said: “It wasn’t the wedding we planned, but it was the greatest day of my life.”