27/02/2026
UK HOSPITALITY VAT
UK hospitality is hit with a 20% VAT rate, one of the highest in Europe. Meanwhile Ireland has moved to a reduced rate for hospitality to protect jobs, tourism, and local businesses.
This is not a level playing field. Many hospitality businesses are already on their knees or closing.
A 20% VAT burden forces prices up, squeezes margins, and makes it harder to invest, hire, and survive.
For many of us, customers expect pricing that is effectively treated as zero rated, so we cannot simply add 20% on top without losing work. That leaves businesses absorbing VAT, and because of how this trade works, we often cannot recover VAT in a way that makes the numbers stack up.
The government should act now and reduce VAT on hospitality. A cut would keep businesses open, protect jobs, and support the wider economy through increased trade and tax revenue elsewhere.
If you work in hospitality, events, catering, pubs, restaurants, or tourism, please share and tag someone who needs to see this.
Cai
Game and flames.
EventsIndustry SmallBusinessUK Restaurants Pubs FoodBusiness TourismUK SaveHospitality
