The boss of JD Wetherspoon has sounded the alarm over “punishing” tax raids which threaten the existence of the British boozer on GB News.
Speaking to presenter Martin Daubney, Sir Tim Martin handed Chancellor Rachel Reeves a warning ahead of Wednesday’s Budget after previously telling the Treasury to “wake up”.
The business tycoon also condemned provisional plans to hike levies on fruit machines, which are a large source of revenue for almost 22,000 across Britain.
“Well, I think I was making the point that I’ve made for years to different Governments that there’s a big tax differential between supermarkets and pubs,” Sir Tim said.
“So it’s far more tax paid by a pub on the same transaction. But that’s been going on for a long time.
“It’s not just Rachel Reeves; it’s previous Governments as well, and pubs have lost an alarming half their beer volume to supermarkets since 2000, which accelerated during the the lockdowns.”
“We’ve had very big tax increases since. So as a friendly comment to Rachel – you may not have noticed, but pubs are struggling a bit so please seek tax from elsewhere.”
Hordes of Britons up and down the nation are bristling with nervous energy as they await the widely-anticipated Budget, with plenty believing tax hikes to be on the cards to plug the “black hole”.
The boozer boss admitted that Sir Keir Starmer had a ‘difficult’ job
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GB NEWS
Previously, Sir Tim admitted Sir Keir Starmer was embattled with a “difficult job” in No10, so Martin asked him what he would asked the Prime Minister to do in such a situation.
“I’d say Keir, be nice to us. Pubs are very good. So are supermarkets,” Sir Tim succinctly said.
“So supermarkets do a magnificent job for their for their customers. But they don’t need tax breaks vis a vis pubs.”
While pubs fork out 20 per cent tax, supermarkets “pay nothing” on food. Meanwhile, pubs shell out approximately 25p per pint, with shops paying around 2p, Sir Tim claimed.
Rachel Reeves is believed to be eyeing up a number of tax hikes ahead of the Budget
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PA“I’d say try and equalise it.
“There’s a principle of taxation and because it’s quite complex, a lot of people don’t get it, including people in the Treasury, people in the Government and even people running pub companies because the tax is invisible.
“It’s beneath people’s radar. But there’s a principle of taxation that it should be fair and equitable.”
Sir Tim’s plea to the PM has echoed that which he previously made, saying pubs make up an important part of British culture.
“But give us a break here! I’d say I’ll buy you a pint.”
“Well, that would be free beer Keir,” Martin quipped.
“I’m a reasonable man. Free beer forever,” Sir Tim laughed.
Earlier this week, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride joined the Wetherspoons chief at his Metropolitan Bar in London.
Mrs Badenoch said: “Labour needs to stop taxing. They’ve floated everything. Taxing property, pensions, taxing savings, income tax thresholds. All they think of is tax, tax, tax.”