08/06/2026
There is a lot in the press today about the pressure VAT and business rates are putting on hospitality — and rightly so. Pubs, cafés and restaurants are vital to our towns, villages and communities.
But this issue does not stop at hospitality.
It affects businesses across the board: trades, retail, farming, care, transport, manufacturing, professional services, landscaping, arboriculture and local family-run companies like ours.
At Rose Tree Surgeons Ltd, we see first-hand how rising costs, VAT, business rates, fuel, insurance, wages, machinery, compliance and materials all stack up. Businesses are expected to keep prices fair for customers, pay staff properly, invest in safety, meet regulations, support local communities and still somehow absorb ever-increasing costs.
That is not sustainable.
Local businesses are the backbone of this country. We create jobs, train people, pay taxes, support suppliers, sponsor communities and keep money moving locally. Yet too often, the system seems to punish the very businesses that are trying to do things properly.
This is not about asking for handouts. It is about asking for fairness.
If the Government wants thriving high streets, skilled trades, strong local employers and resilient communities, then VAT and business rates need serious reform — not just for one sector, but for every sector carrying the weight of an outdated and unfair system.
Hospitality may be making the headlines today, but businesses everywhere are feeling the same pressure.
Local businesses need to be protected, valued and listened to — before more of them are forced to close their doors.
Rose Tree Surgeons Ltd
Supporting local business. Supporting local jobs. Supporting our community.
