Edinburgh, Scotland: The UK Warehousing Association chief executive Clare Bottle has signed a letter that urges the Scottish government to freeze business rates in the coming financial year.
Bottle joined 34 other business bodies in calling for the freeze, ahead of the Scottish Budget on 19 December, that is expected to set the business rate and associated reliefs and thresholds for the 2024-25 financial year. Scotland’s business rate is reported to already be at a 24-year high and a fifth higher than at the start of the previous decade.
The letter read: “We fully recognise that the Scottish Government, like business, is facing its own costs and inflationary pressures at the present time.
“The work to improve the administration of the rates system through the New Deal for Business is encouraging, as is the headway made in recent years on broader aspects of reform including more frequent revaluations, the retention of the uniform business rate, and the pledge to restore parity on the higher property rate with England which should benefit 11,650 commercial premises here in Scotland.
“Yet, after three and a half turbulent years of the pandemic and costs crunch the fact is trading conditions remain challenging, the cost of doing business remains elevated, and the near-term economic outlook is weak.
“We therefore ask that Scottish Ministers prioritise a freeze in the headline business rate poundage – which is already at a 24-year high – in the coming financial year.”
UKWA said: “UKWA is pleased to provide its support as 35 business bodies unite to call for rates freeze.”
