Hospitality sector calls for 10% VAT rate

Hospitality businesses, teams and organisations are being urged to sign a new petition calling for the government to cut the VAT rate for the sector to 10% by UKHospitality.

The trade group has launched #VATsTheProblem, a sector-wide campaign asking for the government to cut the rate of VAT for hospitality businesses, so it is in line with European levels.

UKHospitality is urging the entire sector to back its call by signing a new petition, with the aim to get a million signatures.

Hospitality groups, including the British Beer and Pub Association, the British Institute of Innkeeping and CODE Hospitality, are also supporting the campaign.

Celebrity chef and business owner Tom Kerridge said:

'Our sector is under huge pressure. We know it. We live and breathe it every day.

'We know that the key to unleashing hospitality's potential to grow and thrive into the future comes through a VAT cut. We're making sure government knows that too.

'This is a nationwide campaign with ambassadors big and small spreading the word to everyone that will listen, all asking for the same thing; a cut to hospitality's VAT to 10%.'