Whoever wins the fight over housing and energy will hold the key to victory September 5, 2023 With Parliament back, both parties need to focus on what's going to matter to voters in the next months: housing and energy prices will be top issues, together with questions on net zero, writes Elena Siniscalco
Tourist tax: Battersea Power Station boss urges UK to scrap levy September 3, 2023 The government is under more pressure to scrap the so-called tourist tax, after fresh criticism from the boss of Battersea Power Station.
‘Disastrous’: London airports slam UK Government’s tourist tax August 16, 2023 Bosses at three leading UK airports have warned the government that its so-called ‘tourist tax’ is already making Britain a less appealing tourist destination. Senior figures at London City, Heathrow and Gatwick argued that the return of airside VAT-free shopping would be critical for the sector to finally shake-off Covid-19 and keep pace with international [...]
Harrods hails rise in profit as iconic London store recovers from pandemic lull August 15, 2023 Harrods, the world famous department store in Knightsbridge, recorded a profit for the year ending January 2023, as the iconic London shop fully rebounded from the pandemic lull. Luxury shoppers keen to blow their cash in the capital helped hike operating profits at Harrods to £202.7m up from a weak £71.4m the prior year. The [...]
We were never going to have a great British bonfire of the tax system after Brexit August 15, 2023 We have neglected to reintroduce VAT-free shopping for foreign tourists, doubtless to squeals of delight from shopkeepers in Milan or Paris.
London losing out due to ‘tourist tax’ as US and Gulf visitors opt for Paris and Milan instead August 14, 2023 London is losing out on wealthy foreign visitors splashing their cash in Oxford Street due to the so-called ‘tourist tax’, amid renewed calls to scrap it and make the capital more competitive. The removal of VAT free shopping for international tourists continues to hurt London retailers, with visitors from the US and the Gulf cutting [...]
Watches of Switzerland: Tourist tax ‘biggest single frustration’ for UK retailers August 10, 2023 The government’s decision to scrap VAT-free shopping for tourists is continuing to hold UK retailers back, Watches of Switzerland has warned. Chief executive of the FTSE 250 luxury watch seller Brian Duffy told City A.M. it was “probably the biggest single frustration” for the British retail sector. “I was in Italy this weekend and the [...]
Faberge boss eggs on UK to bring back tax-free shopping to lure back wealthy tourists August 3, 2023 The boss of Faberge has joined calls for the UK to scrap the so-called ‘tourist tax’, which a new study has claimed is costing the UK over £10bn a year. Faberge chief Anthony Lindsay has urged for the return of tax-free shopping after a recent study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) [...]
It is time Britain rid itself of its entrenched tall poppy syndrome August 3, 2023 Britain has a tendency to chop down the tallest of our poppies, from growing tech businesses to promising young footballers. Some try to do that with one of our more appealing recent success stories: English wine.One recent article elsewhere said the red tasted like vimto and the good stuff was too expensive; buy French, seemed [...]
Loss of tax-free shopping costing the UK £4.1bn, say London bosses July 26, 2023 Scrapping the tourist tax could generate £4.1bn annually for the UK economy, new research suggests, as a cluster of prominent business owners call for the government to reinstate VAT shopping for international tourists. Rishi Sunak scrapped the tax which saw international shoppers able to claim 20 per cent back with their purchases. It was largely [...]