Epos Now CEO backs hospitality tax cut, pushes for VAT relief

Epos Now founder and CEO Jacyn Heavens welcomed the UK government’s 20% business rates cut for hospitality businesses on July 23, 2026, calling it a win for high-street operators. He is now pressing Prime Minister Andy Burnham to extend relief by lowering VAT for small and medium-sized businesses.

Why it matters: - The business rates cut gives pubs, clubs and music venues immediate tax relief. - Epos Now says the move helps small and medium-sized businesses that are under pressure from rising costs. - A VAT cut could further reduce operating costs for hospitality and retail businesses if the government follows through.

What happened: - Jacyn Heavens, founder and CEO of Epos Now, welcomed Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s 20% cut to business rates for hospitality businesses. - The announcement was made on July 23, 2026. - The policy also raises the threshold for independent hospitality, leisure and retail businesses. - Reports say the government would fund the cuts by increasing business rates on large out-of-town distribution warehouses operated by companies such as Amazon.

The details: - Heavens called the rates cut a positive step forward for small and medium-sized businesses on Britain’s high streets. - He said the change is a "lifeline" for businesses squeezed by rising costs and what he described as an outdated tax system that favors online giants over high-street operators. - Heavens said the announcement shows a government that is willing to rebalance the scales. - He is urging Burnham to commit to a VAT reduction for small and medium-sized businesses. - Heavens said business rates reform is only a first step. - He said VAT is the single biggest lever the government has to ease pressure on businesses that employ millions of people across the country. - Heavens has previously written to then-Chancellor Rachel Reeves to call for a VAT reduction for SMEs. - He has also backed Chef Tom Kerridge’s "VATs the Problem" campaign, which seeks to cut hospitality VAT from 20% to 10%.

Between the lines: - The comments frame business rates as only one part of a broader tax debate for UK hospitality and retail. - Heavens is pushing the government to shift more of the burden away from smaller operators and toward larger distribution assets. - The public backing from a fintech executive adds pressure to an already politically sensitive issue for the high street.

What's next: - Heavens is likely to keep pressing the government for VAT reform. - The next policy question is whether Burnham expands relief beyond business rates. - Hospitality groups and SME advocates will watch for any follow-up tax changes that affect pricing, staffing and investment decisions.

The bottom line: - Epos Now sees the rates cut as meaningful relief, but Heavens wants the government to go further and cut VAT for small and medium-sized businesses.