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Business rates have long been blamed for the decline of Britain’s high streets. Shops and pubs face large bills, while online retailers can operate from cheaper out-of-town warehouses. So surely cutting business rates would help?
Not necessarily. Helen Miller is joined by IFS tax expert Stuart Adam and Observer economics editor Ben Zaranko to explain why business rates are widely misunderstood. They discuss who really bears the cost of the tax, why cutting rates could simply lead to higher rents, whether pubs and high streets deserve special treatment, and how a growing patchwork of reliefs and exemptions has made the system increasingly complicated.
They also ask what is actually wrong with business rates - and why taxing land rather than the buildings sitting on it might offer a better solution.
Host
Helen Miller
Helen joined the IFS in 2007. She has almost two decades of experience analysing UK fiscal policy and providing trusted advice to policymakers.
Participants
Stuart Adam
Stuart is a Senior Economist working in the Tax sector, and focuses on analysing the design of the tax and benefit system.
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