LIBDEM WELCOMES TAX REPRIEVE FOR HOLIDAY LETS

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 28th Jun 2010

Jim Hume, Liberal Democrat MSP for the South of Scotland, has welcomed news that the plan to increase the tax payable on furnished holiday lets has been scrapped.

The announcement formed part of last week's budget, and the MSP has described the scrapping of the plan a relief for holiday accommodation providers across the South of Scotland.

Jim Hume said:

"By increasing the tax payable by these tourism businesses, the people that would have lost out are the small lettings businesses, and it would have had a major effect upon the rural tourism sector in the South of Scotland.

"The changes had been estimated to cost an average of £4,000 in tax for lettings businesses and would have impacted heavily on rural tourism.

"The region relies so heavily on tourism and this change will be a relief for those businesses who were facing unsustainable rises in their tax bill."

ENDS