Rates are crippling business: IBEC
07/06/2005 - 07:13:56Businesses claim they are being ripped off by local authorities on rates charges.
The business group IBEC says businesses paid €500m extra in commercial rates in the last five years.
IBEC's Brendan Butler says businesses feel it is a form of stealth tax.
“Essentially, commercial rates accounted for less than €600m total revenue to local authorities in the year 2000, this year that figure will have grown to over €1bn,” he said.
“We are looking at very significant increases year-on-year since 2000. The business community effectively now sees commercial rates as a stealth tax - they rise irrespective of the service provided,” said Mr Butler.
