‘Costs would force shops to charge customers – or close’
SHOPKEEPER Kishor Patel worries that his three convenience stores will be badly hit by the tax raid on indoor ATMs.
Mr Patel, 57, has run his small chain of stores in Hertfordshire for 33 years.
All three Nisa shops have cash machines attached and are at risk of having additional rates imposed on them – meaning he may be forced to close one or more.
And he warned that if the charges were introduced, retailers would have to abandon free-to-use ATMs to foot the bill, hitting customers in the pocket.
He believes councils are trying to profiteer at the expense of small businesses.
‘Where it was viable to have an ATM five years ago, today it’s not,’ he said.
‘Over the years the ATM service has helped convenience stores to grow.
‘To actually impose another charge on stores is just trying to take the life out of it. The council really don’t care about what the small businesses have to do to survive. Over time they’re trying to kill it.’
Mr Patel said he has already had to ditch four of his premises because of unaffordable rates. He said additional business rates would force him to give up another one or more of his stores – and that it could also drive customers away. He added: ‘More and more I would say retailers will go towards using charging ATMs, and then customers get hit as well.’