Small business lobby cautious response to greater devolution

Small business lobby cautious response to greater devolution

Forum gives a cautious welcome to the Chancellor’s announcement in greater devolution of business rates but was more encouraged by the infrastructure commission.

The idea of greater local devolution of business rates is a key element that Forum members have highlighted as the level of taxation on businesses is so high with little in return. 43 percent of our members would prefer business rates to be abolished and other commercial taxes to be increased although this is highly contentious with 19 percent strongly against such the suggestion.

A key issue is that tax is not paid by all businesses, with the proportion of businesses paying the rate diminishing as an increasing number of self-employed individuals are working from residential properties – many of whom enjoy commercial advantages over business rate payers. This in effect gives a tax incentive to online retailers and companies who outsource to countries where property taxation is lower.

As Forum Managing Director, Ian Cass pointed out “members want tax simplicity, not a postcode lottery. Business rates remain too high and do not offer good value for money.
“Previous research from the Forum suggested that 75 percent of their members were sceptical about the ability of local councils to work with local businesses to make good long-term decisions. This does put greater pressure on councils to provide small firms with value for money on what has now become a local tax at a time when there are considerable pressures on their council budgets.” 

Read more

Latest News

Read More

What parenting teaches us about professional growth

15 August 2025

Employee Benefits & Reward

14 August 2025

In the race to attract and retain top talent, HR leaders are constantly reassessing how to create a compelling employee value proposition that aligns with...

Employment Law

14 August 2025

Step-by-step guide for UK employers to prepare for an employment tribunal. Learn ET1/ET3 tips, witness prep, and settlement strategies....

Newsletter

Receive the latest HR news and strategic content

Please note, as per the GDPR Legislation, we need to ensure you are ‘Opted In’ to receive updates from ‘theHRDIRECTOR’. We will NEVER sell, rent, share or give away your data to third parties. We only use it to send information about our products and updates within the HR space To see our Privacy Policy – click here

Latest HR Jobs

University of Cambridge – Department of Clinical NeurosciencesSalary: £33,951 to £39,906

University of Oxford – HR Centres of Excellence based within the Centre for Human GeneticsSalary: £34,982 to £40,855 per annum (pro rata). Grade 6

University of Bradford – Directorate of People and CultureSalary: £40,497 to £45,413 per annum Role 1 – 1 FTE September to end of January 2026.

University of Greater Manchester – Human Resources TeamSalary: £41,671 to £48,149 per annum

Read the latest digital issue of theHRDIRECTOR for FREE

Read the latest digital issue of theHRDIRECTOR for FREE