Extend tourist tax deadline
As of yesterday, Edinburgh’s tourist tax applies to any bookings for after July 24 next year, which the big hotel chains with their compliance departments and IT specialists can probably take in their stride. A hassle, yes, but do-able.
Not so small independent guest houses and B&Bs, who have been left to sort it out themselves while Edinburgh City Council turns a deaf ear to their concerns. Worse still are the two camp sites, only included at the last minute.
The main problem is adapting payment systems, and the government’s VisitScotland tourism agency only issued guidance last week, giving businesses less than a week to prepare.
I’ve been contacted by Katie Guinan from Ratho’s Linwater Caravan Park in Ratho, who has written to the SNP’s public finance minister Ivan McKee, the man responsible for the legislation, asking him to force the council into an extension.
“Without action to secure a reasonable extension period, small businesses like ours will face an impossible administrative and financial burden,” she said. “The calculation is complex and requires bespoke programming changes. In the meantime, we will be forced to manually update every booking.”
It has taken the council years to get to this point, but it seemingly expects small businesses to cope only days after receiving guidance, which even the most ardent tourist tax supporter must accept is unreasonable. It’s just another example of bureaucrats putting their botched plans before the legitimate concerns of the people who generate the taxes to keep them in their jobs. The minister must intervene.
Sue Webber is a Scottish Conservative MSP for Lothian