Rates pain

Business rates are under the spotlight again with Graham Ruddick highlighting the Telegraph’s Fix the Rates campaign which calls for business rates to be frozen for two years and then reformed. Mr Ruddick cites research by PwC which shows the tax burden for Britain's leading retailers has increased by 65% since 2005, driven by an 80% increase in taxes outside of corporation tax, such as business. They now pay a total tax rate of 59% and their tax bill rose to £3.99bn in 2012, compared with £3.86bn in 2011. Business rates have been blamed for hampering investment in shopping centres and other commercial developments.