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Written Question
Rates and Rating
Tuesday 28th January 2020

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - North Cotswolds)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what formula is used by Valuation Office Agency assessors to determine rateable value.

Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

The Rateable Value (RV) of any non-domestic property represents the annual rent a property would achieve if let on the open market at a valuation date which is set in law. For the current RVs, effective from 1 April 2017, the set valuation date is 1 April 2015.

The VOA uses a hierarchy of internationally recognised valuation approaches for assessing RV:

  • Rental comparison basis: analysis of rental evidence for similar properties to arrive at a rate for the property being valued. This is the most common method, used where a rental market exists and the nature of the property allows for comparison e.g. shops, offices and factories.

  • Receipts & expenditure basis: used in the absence of good quality rental information to identify the economic surplus notionally available for rent/RV. Typical properties valued using this method include hotels, caravan parks and race courses.

  • Contractor’s basis: used when there are no reliable rents and the motive for occupation is not for profit e.g. hospitals, schools and prisons. The value of the land and replacement building costs (adjusted for age and obsolescence) are annualised to provide a notional rent/RV. The annualised rate is known as the ‘decapitalisation’ rate and is specified in legislation at each revaluation.
Written Question
Exports: VAT
Wednesday 22nd January 2020

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - North Cotswolds)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many organisations responded to HMRC's consultation entitled VAT Retail Export Scheme: Improvements, which closed on 6 September 2019; and when the outcome of that consultation will be published.

Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

HM Revenue and Customs have been exploring the scope to modernise the VAT Retail Export Scheme and invited stakeholder feedback on emerging proposals. Twenty-three organisations responded to HMRC’s letter entitled VAT Retail Export Scheme: Improvements. HMRC have no plans to publish a summary of the responses.
Written Question
Exports: VAT
Wednesday 22nd January 2020

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - North Cotswolds)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure a level playing field on tax free shopping between UK and EU retailers in relation to UK consumers after the UK leaves the EU.

Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

During the transitional period there will be no change to tax-free shopping arrangements in the UK. As with all aspects of the tax system, the Government will keep this under review.

Written Question
Exports: VAT
Wednesday 22nd January 2020

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - North Cotswolds)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress the Government has made in digitalising fully the Retail Export Scheme to reduce the administrative burden to travellers, as announced in the Autumn Statement 2016, and what the timetable is for that digitalisation to be delivered.

Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

HMRC are continuing to build on the work undertaken following the announcement at Autumn Statement 2016 about plans to modernise the VAT Retail Export Scheme (RES).

Written Question
Exports: VAT
Wednesday 22nd January 2020

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - North Cotswolds)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether UK citizens will be entitled to shop tax free in EU member states at the end of the transition period on 31 January 2020.

Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

During the transitional period which ends on 31 December 2020, there will be no change to the VAT Retail Export Scheme and so UK citizens will not be eligible to use this scheme. How the scheme will operate after the transitional period will depend on the outcome of negotiations on the UK’s future relationship with the EU.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 08 Oct 2019
HMRC Impact Analysis: Customs

"The number of customs declarations is likely to increase from 50 million now to 250 million when we have to start to export to the EU. This will be governed by a customs declaration service system. Will the system cope, and will there be enough agents to handle that volume …..."
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown - View Speech

View all Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Con - North Cotswolds) contributions to the debate on: HMRC Impact Analysis: Customs
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 11 Apr 2019
Loan Charge

"I rise to support my constituent, Kieran Smythe, who bought schemes extending back to 2014. He believed that the schemes that he was sold were approved by HMRC and a QC.

As many Members of this House have said, the problem is that HMRC has been very slow to react …..."
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown - View Speech

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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 02 Apr 2019
Business Rates

"I am very grateful to you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and Mr Speaker for affording me this opportunity to have a long dilation on the subject of business rates. I am under no illusion: I do not think my popularity is why so many people are present. It is all to …..."
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown - View Speech

View all Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Con - North Cotswolds) contributions to the debate on: Business Rates
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 02 Apr 2019
Business Rates

"Ledbury comes second in Christendom after Cirencester, which is beaten by no high street town in this country. My hon. Friend is right, of course. The 80% rate relief that charitable shops get encourages a large number of them. I have a substantial number in Cirencester, although they are in …..."
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown - View Speech

View all Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Con - North Cotswolds) contributions to the debate on: Business Rates
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 02 Apr 2019
Business Rates

"My hon. Friend reads my mind. A long way further in my speech, I have a little section on ATMs. ATMs and public loos get a good allowance under the rating system, so I will be talking about that...."
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown - View Speech

View all Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Con - North Cotswolds) contributions to the debate on: Business Rates