The Association, as part of the Retail Consultation Forum, approved the pre-Budget Submission delivered this week to the Minister for Finance Pascal Donohue.
Among our ‘asks’ were:
- Reduce the 23% VAT rate to 20%
- Retain the 9% Vat rate on papers
- No increase in excises on tobacco, fuel or alcohol
- Reduction in Employer PRSI to 4.25% from 8.5% up to the €376 p.w threshold
We also asked to Government to increase funding for the Town Centre Regeneration Projects and a number of specific funding requests relating to Brexit matters.
The Association is most concerned that the relentless increases in e-commence will lead to closures of brick and mortar establishments and depleted footfall in town and shopping centres, with obvious knock-on effects for many of our members businesses. With this in mind, we are asking for a rigorous application of VAT/duties/excises to ensure that there is a levelling of the pitch in this respect.
We have also requested that there be a full overhaul of both the Property Tax and Commercial Rates Valuation regimes.
