Businesses ask for government tax commitment

Date: 28th July 2008

A pressure group that represents the interests of small businesses and sole traders has urged the main political parties to commit to no tax increases during the next parliament.

The Edinburgh Evening News reported that the call came from the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) ahead of its annual conference in London.

In an interview with the publication, BCC president Bill Midgley said that his organisation's members were desperate for all the main political parties to rule out any business tax increases after the next general election.

He cited a recent survey which showed that 90 per cent of small business bosses were worried taxes would rise.

"Taxation is one of the biggest issues of concern. The continuing debate over whether taxes will have to rise under a future government is a major worry and employers now need a firm commitment that business taxes will not go up," Mr Midgley explained to the paper.

"The continued speculation about the future of business rates only serves to increase business fears. A future government should strongly resist any call to return the setting of business rates to local authority control."

Earlier this month, the BCC welcomed Tory plans to establish a new Office of Tax Simplification if they were elected to power.