John Swinney MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth in the Scottish Government, has proposed supplemental business rates for "large retailers" which it is claimed will raise an extra £30 million in revenue.
If approved by Parliament, this supplement will be introduced from 2011-2012 to those retail properties with a rateable value exceeding £750,000 on a sliding scale as follows:-
|
Rateable Value Range for Large Retailer Supplement |
Supplement in the Pound |
|
More than £750,000 but not |
2.5p |
|
More than £1,000,000 but not |
5p |
|
More than £1,099,999 but not |
10p |
|
More than £1,265,000 but not |
12p |
|
More than £2,140,000 |
15p |
The proposal has been widely criticised, with the Scottish Property Federation highlighting that "Scotland risks "killing the goose that laid the golden egg", and the Scottish Retail Consortium stating that "the decision to single out supermarkets and other large retailers for extra business rates increases is madness".
It remains to be seen whether this controversial supplement is actually implemented, but in the current economic climate and with the bad weather affecting sales this would be a huge a blow to those larger retailers affected.
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