Pub quizzes 'to be hit with new stealth tax'

[Gromit]

The Government is planning to tax the pub quiz.

Pubs which run quiz nights, field football teams or hold pool tournaments could all be forced to pay higher business rates because inspectors are using new guidelines to draw up the rateable value of pubs across the country.

The old guidelines, from 2005, said that any money a pub makes which is not directly linked to selling alcohol should not be used to increase rates.

But the new manual has scrapped that exemption, and instead inspectors are told to note any TV, quiz nights, pool, darts or football teams.

The new manual was put together while Gordon Brown was at the Treasury.

Business rates are set at 44 per cent of a property's rateable value - so if a pub's value is increased by �1,000 because of quiz or pool nights, its tax bill will go up by �440.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml =/news/2007/10/15/npub115.xml

Will this see the demise of many pubs and clubs?

[China Doll]

No.

It'll just mean a harder job for treasurers and quiz masters.

Oh. That'll be me then. Wonderful.

Don't you just love Mondays?!

[squarebear]

It'll probably just mean that they get scrapped rather than the landlord paying for these.

[mrs_overall]

Just when you think the government cannot sink any lower or think up new, novel ways of screwing people further into the ground, hey presto, they surprise us with this.
I'm waiting for fresh air to be taxed - I'm sure it won't be long in coming.

[jiggy-gb]

Oh dear, looks like the revenue they're losing from people giving up the ciggies is going to be raked in from other pub activities now. All those smokers who warned they'd find something else to tax must be feeling very smug right now! What next, tax the jukebox?

[China Doll]

No. Just tax people who use the jukebox before passing a compulsory 'music taste' form.

Some songs I just don't need enforced on me. Do you know I actually know the lyrics to the Justin Timberlake and 50c song?!

[jiggy-gb]

That's very sad China, but I agree with you. There's a dippy hippy in my local who puts on a poundsworth of 'Hi Ho Silver Lining' at a time, makes me want to force feed her beef crisps!

Surely there must be a better way to get this revenue in, how about taxing fast food instead? It's a luxury that's actually harming so many people, children more than adults it would seem. Though if they put a tax on sausage rolls from Greggs a lot of the kids round here would starve, sad but true.

[China Doll]

There's some fast food chicken places in Nunhead taht I'm convinced are the main source of nutrition for half the population there. Disgusting.

I'm not sure that this is to do with finding more money though jiggy. I suspect it might have more to do with the gaming laws that have been changed (relatively) recently and the arrival of casinos etc... Possibly a strange attempt to create a level playing field so to speak? Just a thought.

[jiggy-gb]

You're probably right there China, but it still seems very mean. By all means tax the revenue from the fruities, just leave quizzes and teams alone. They'll not be happy until we're all locked in our homes half an hour after finishing work so the streets are empty and a curfew is in place! Think I'll see about emigrating to Russia, pretty soon they'll be having heaps more fun that the UK!

[beryllium]

The grabbing hands grab all they can....

So... looks like charity donations will be on the rise lol.

[ruby27]

Excellent post - had me going to begin with

[Marky B]

It reminds me of a mate of mate of mine who went into a pub frequented by youngsters,and put enough money into a jukebox to play its entrie collection of Dean Martin songs.
Ta Ta
Marky B

[Lonnie]

I can't really see why anyone is surprised, with this goverments record on stealth taxes, you'll soon be taxed for walking on the Pavement or going to the Loo,

You know they are always going to tax something new, just a question as to what.

[fletcher.5]

The Daily Telegraph. You may as well read The Sun Total b------s