A Dorset MP has warned high streets businesses are at an 'unfair disadvantage' to big multinationals.
South Dorset MP Lloyd Hatton has called on the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to 'consider further measures' to ensure online giants such as Amazon 'pay their fair share of tax'.
Mr Hatton was speaking in the House of Commons today and believes without action he 'fears' for the future of high street traders.
He told the Commons: “Amazon currently makes hundreds of millions in profit in the UK each year and yet often gets away with paying little to no corporation tax.
"Meanwhile, high street businesses in Weymouth, Portland and Swanage in my constituency pay their fair share. To level the playing field, will the Chancellor consider further measures that ensure online giants always pay their fair share of tax?
“Without action, I fear our high streets will always be at an unfair disadvantage.”
Treasury minister James Murray, answering, said: “He’s absolutely right that supporting the high street is at the heart of our ambitions when it comes to business rates reform.
"In the (Non-Domestic Rating) Bill, as I spoke to at the second reading last week, we set out our plans to introduce permanently lower tax rates for high street retail, hospitality and leisure properties, and that will be paid for through an increase in the tax rate on those properties with a rateable value above £500,000.
“That’s a category that includes the warehouses used by many of the online giants that he referred to in his question.”
Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, from North Shropshire later called for 'much more radical reform of business rates which looks at land values and encourages business to invest, and puts high street retailers on a level playing field with online giants' ahead of Small Business Saturday (December 7), which Mr Murray said is 'exactly what we’re setting out to do'.
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