Tax Free news and archive

Absence of tax-free shopping costing UK businesses

West End retailers in London lost 310 million pounds in retail sales in the first half of 2025 due to the absence of tax-free shopping, up 40 percent from 220 million pounds in H1 2024, marking the largest loss across the half year since the policy was removed. The research from the New West End Company, which represents both property and...

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In wake of tariffs: UK fashion and retail band together on call for VAT-free shopping

A new letter issued to Rachel Reeves, is calling on the UK Chancellor to consider reinstating a tax-free shopping scheme as concerns mount over tariffs. The letter, seen by FashionUnited, was signed by the CEOs of Walpole, the British Retail Consortium (BRC), the British Beauty Council and the British Fashion Council (BFC), each representing...

Retail

West End retailers miss out on 220 million pounds due to 'tourist tax'

It is no secret by now that retailers across London remain unhappy about the UK government’s decision to scrap tax-free shopping incentives for tourists. The resulting impact of the move was further emphasised in a new report by the New West End Company (NWEC), which represents the retail landscape for the West End district of London. In its...

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Revivals and reinstatements: What UK retail is demanding from the incoming government

The UK’s general election is moving swiftly upon us. With a shorter time frame than initially expected, national retail organisations are clamouring to get their requests publicly pushed out to ensure their calls for change are heard. Here are just some of what the many UK-based organisations – British Independent Retailers Association (Bira),...

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UK ‘tourist tax’ reportedly costing 11.1 billion pounds in lost GDP

A new report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) has said that the UK’s widely debated ‘tourist tax’ is costing the region’s economy 11.1 billion pounds in lost gross domestic product (GDP). Cebr said that it had used tourist data released by the government last week to analyse the impact of scrapping the VAT-free shopping...

Retail

LVMH's DFS Group plans tax free luxury complex in China

DFS Group, a subsidiary of luxury conglomerate LVMH, has revealed plans to build a sprawling shopping and entertainment complex on China's duty-free Hainan Islandm, said Bloomberg. Spanning 128,000 square meters and scheduled for a 2026 launch, the project will house over 1,000 luxury brands, including those from LVMH. Alongside shopping, the...

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350 Business leaders join call on government to reintroduce tax-free shopping

An open letter to chancellor Jeremy Hunt has been signed by 350 business people across the retail, hospitality, arts and tourism sectors, and calls for the reintroduction of tax-free shopping ahead of the government’s debate on the topic, scheduled for September 7. Among the signatories are the CEOs, general managers, designers and directors of...

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Harvey Nichols CEO calls for return of tax-free shopping for tourists

The CEO of British department store chain Harvey Nichols has called on the government to reinstate tax-free shopping for tourists. “I would urge the government to really prioritise it before an election,” Manju Malhotra said in an interview with The Telegraph. “We all benefit from international businesses coming to the UK. The high street,...

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Parliament sets date for debate on tax-free shopping

After mounting pressure from UK retailers, Parliament is set to discuss the topic of reinstating tax-free shopping for international visitors at an upcoming debate on September 7. It comes after calls from both retailers and MPs backing the ‘Scrap the Tourist Tax’ campaign continued to heighten, after it had initially been put to a stop towards...

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Walpole pushes for the reinstatement of tax-free shopping for visitors in the UK

Walpole, the industry body that represents more than 250 British luxury companies, has published its inaugural ‘State of London Luxury’ report in partnership with Cadogan, which manages more than 90 acres of Chelsea and Knightsbridge and is calling for the reinstatement of a tax-free shopping scheme for international visitors. The report, which...

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Without tax free shopping UK is least attractive shopping destination says Burberry chief

Burberry chair Gerry Murphy has accused UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of making a grave mistake in removing the VAT refund for foreign shoppers, claiming that it has made the UK the least attractive shopping destination in Europe. Mr Murphy alluded that tourists can shop tax-free in other cities such as Paris, Milan, and Amsterdam, making the UK...

Retail

Mulberry closes Bond Street flagship

British accessory business Mulberry is closing its Bond Street flagship store after 27 years. The boutique, housed in one of London’s most affluent shopping destinations, failed to generate sufficient sales after the government ended its VAT-free shopping scheme. What some outlets have dubbed the ‘tourist tax’, Mulberry’s store revenue was...