LVA welcomes VAT and TBESS extensions
The Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) has said that it is “positive that the Government has kept the extra tax on consumers off the menu” by pushing back the VAT increase on hospitality until after the summer season.
They also warmly welcomed the extension of The Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS) and the commitment to simplify the application process.
Speaking in reaction to the Government announcement, Donall O’Keeffe, CEO of the LVA said, “We are glad that sense has seen out and that the VAT rate for hospitality will not be changing until after the summer. While we would have preferred to have seen this measure postponed for 2023, it is positive that the Government has kept the extra tax on consumers off the menu for now. In our view it made no sense for the Government to be pushing up prices while there are such cost of living challenges in this country. It would have also been short-sighted to introduce extra taxes just at the beginning of the tourism season. Everyone in the hospitality industry will be breathing a sigh of relief with this news.
“We are also very pleased to see the extension of the TBESS scheme and the commitment to simplifying this process. We know this has been an issue for a lot of pubs and hospitality businesses who have found it challenging to make use of the scheme to date. These were amongst the key points we have been communicating to Government. We hope this will see the benefits of the programme reach those pubs and businesses who need it, following the massive rises in energy prices experienced across the sector over the last 12 months,” Mr. O’Keeffe concluded.