Authors and Booksellers Urge UK Government to Cut Business Rates

A coalition of 234 independent booksellers and prominent authors, including Philip Pullman, Maggie O'Farrell, and Katherine Rundell, have issued an open letter urging the UK government and Andy Burnham to extend business rates relief to bookshops. Organized by the Booksellers Association, the campaign seeks a 20% reduction in business rates to match relief recently granted to pubs, clubs, and live music venues.

Supporters argue that independent bookshops serve as essential community hubs and that escalating costs threaten their viability. Economic data from Cebr suggests some shops could face average annual increases of £4,563 by 2029-30, which would necessitate selling an additional 1,141 books per year just to cover the added expenses.

HM Treasury has rejected the call for further relief, stating that bookshops already benefit from lower business rates multipliers. The government further pointed to a £4.3bn support package intended to limit bill increases across the sector.