Wetherspoons to slash prices for one day to protest hospitality tax

The 7.5% discount will be applied to all food and booze at 870 pubs to mark Tax Equality Day

Cheers! We'll drink to that. For one day only, on September 23, Weatherspoons will cut prices by 7.5% to protest hospitality tax rates. The pub chain will let customers enjoy discounted food and booze at its 870 pubs to mark Tax Equality Day. The move is designed to highlight the benefits of a permanently reduced tax bill for the pub industry. The tax rate was reduced to  5% to help the hospitality sector survive the pandemic, but increases to 12.5% at the end of this month. By 2022, it will return to the usual 20%. Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin has argued for the lower tax rate to continue to help pubs stay competitive with big supermarket chains. Grocers don't pay VAT on food and so can pass that saving onto customers by selling discounted alcohol. Wetherspoons has previously warned that it will increase prices by 50p when VAT increases from October 1. Martin said in a statement: “Taxes should be fair and equitable. “However, it is unfair that supermarkets pay zero VAT on food, but pubs and restaurants, in normal circumstances, pay 20%. “Pubs have been under fantastic pressure for decades, owing to the tax disadvantages which they have with supermarkets. “Customers in our pubs on Tax Equality Day will find that the price of their food and drinks will be lower than normal." The discount will not apply to alcohol in Scotland due to licensing regulations. It also excludes airports and the Republic of Ireland. Related links Tim Martin is getting roasted on Twitter after Wetherspoons runs out of beer Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin backtracks on 'out of context' immigration comments James Corden accidentally shares ‘old man in Wetherspoons’ Wayne Lineker meme