To be serious for a moment, we self-catering operators are shortly to be shafted by the government when they repeal the Furnished Holiday Letting rules next year. This is being done to us just so that they don’t have to extend the FHL tax treatment to European based businesses owned by UK nationals.
Many of us have invested significant sums in buying and developing holiday accommodation on the basis of a set of rules. As anyone who has been involved in major capital acquisitions will know, you don’t do this as a short term investment, and rule changes like this can have a devastating effect on marginal businesses like tourism.
This government appears to be blind to logical argument here, and whilst no great fan of their likely successors I have to agree with Tobias Ellwood, the Shadow Minister for Culture Media and Sport (which apparently includes tourism – so important is Tourism in its own right 
).
Unless there is a policy shift reflecting a more pro-active and supportive role for the British tourism industry, ‘Government’ may well be labelled along side Foot and Mouth, terrorist alerts and flooding as unhelpful challenges to our tourism industry.
Amazingly though, the Shadow Minister for Tourism didn’t see fit to sign the early day notion asking for some proper consideration rather than knee jerk legislation
Early Day Motion
EDM 1730FURNISHED HOLIDAY LETTINGS RULES
23.06.2009Anderson, Janet
That this House notes that the repeal of Furnished Holiday Lettings rules announced in the Budget will have negative and unintended consequences for providers of holiday lettings; believes that the negative impact of the repeal will lead to a reduction in the supply of self-catering accommodation in particular, resulting in a significant loss of jobs and damage to rural and seaside economies; further notes with concern the lack of any industry consultation on the repeal; and calls upon the Government to conduct a full consultation and review of this policy change as soon as possible to ensure all affected parties have the opportunity to voice their concerns and to promote an understanding of and mitigate against any unintended consequences on tourism, especially in rural and seaside areas.
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=38928&SESSION=899
Perhaps somebody should wake him up?
The Government needs to nurture and support the British Tourism Industry.
I think you’re right, maybe someone should wake him up …..with a Rocket!
Hi,
Just to say that the national self-catering organisations in the UK (EASCO, WASCO, NISCHA and ASSC), the Tourism Alliance in London and many others have been working on this since May.
Every MP has been contacted by letter and invited to sign the Early Day Motion.
Through our pressure, there have been questions raised in the Westminster, Welsh and Scottish parliaments. The Tourism Alliance has had a meeting with HMRC, DCMS and the Treasury, and also a meeting with Margaret Hodge MP, the returning tourism minister.
Next up is the pre-budget statement which will come with an impact assessment of the abolition of the FHL rules.
Not sure if we can win this, but we have made very sure that those who need the information about the terrible effect this rule change, have it to hand.