Commercial Property Advisors (CPA) commends Rachel Reeves's proposal, as Shadow Chancellor, to directly link revenue raised from a 12-month rise in the Digital Sales Tax (from 2 to 12%) to a freeze on business rates and an increase from £15,000 to £25,000 in the threshold for reliefs.
CPA doubts that business rates can be abolished, as Labour suggests, but considers that a freeze, funded effectively by online behemoths like Google and Amazon, is consistent with CPA's long-standing campaign for the high street to be given a chance to compete fairly with its online rivals.
"Future generations will be amazed that the UK waited so long, before taxing digital service providers", says Ben Sayer, CPA's Operations Director. "CPA urges government to go still further, with tax revenues from the internet financing physical regeneration of the high street, and competitive bidding for 'facelift funding' being actively encouraged by national and local government."
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