Latest news with #FionaCampbell
Daily Record
06-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Trade group warns Stirling's proposed 'tourist tax' could 'harm' the region's tourism
The trade group has warned that Stirling's proposed 'tourist tax' would harm tourism in the region and called for an economic impact survey to be carried out. Another hospitality trade body has warned that the proposed ' tourist tax ' which could be introduced in Stirling could 'harm tourism' in the region. UK Hospitality Scotland has urged Stirling Council to carry out a full economic impact assessment on the impacts of the proposed visitor levy. The levy would see visitors to the city hit with an additional charge on overnight accommodation. Stirling Council last month launched an online survey over the plans, which runs until Sunday. But UK Hospitality Scotland this week said that it did not agree with the introduction of a levy. UK Hospitality Scotland Executive Director, Leon Thompson, said: 'Hospitality and tourism is so important to Stirling, as a major employer and driver of the local economy. 'That economic and social contribution to our communities must be protected and we fundamentally believe that introducing a visitor levy could harm tourism in Stirling. 'That's why Stirling Council should carry out a detailed impact assessment to understand the potential impact on visitors, tourism and the economy, before it embarks further on potentially introducing a levy. 'We're keen to work with the council so they understand the perspective of accommodation businesses and I look forward to engaging further with them during this process.' They have become the second trade group to raise concerns over the proposals. Last December, one national trade association warned the council to 'tread carefully' over its plans. The Association of Scotland's Self-Caterers (ASSC) said that the introduction of a visitor levy scheme on tourists in Stirling would mean that small businesses could become 'de-facto unpaid tax collectors'. ASSC chief executive, Fiona Campbell said the implementation of the tax must 'be done right'. Last month, a campaign group against the proposals warned the move could see the city's hospitality sector left with high levels of cancellations. The Back British Holidays campaign warned that as much as 21-per cent of potential holidaymakers could cancel their trip over the additional tariff. Additionally, they said another 21-per cent would reduce their spending while on holiday. Now, Back British Holidays is calling on policymakers to reconsider proposals over fears levies could significantly harm local tourism economies costing local businesses millions in lost revenue. A Stirling Council spokesperson said: 'We welcomed the input of all stakeholders, including UK Hospitality Scotland, to our initial public engagement on the draft visitor levy for Stirling. 'More than 660 people and organisations had their say on how the levy could work in the online survey before it closed on Sunday 4 May. This feedback, coupled with the responses gathered at drop-in sessions, face-to-face meetings and via paper surveys, will help ensure the draft scheme, if implemented, maximises the potential benefits for everyone, from residents to accommodation providers and visitors. 'We are also considering additional research and analysis that could inform a potential scheme. 'While a visitor levy could offer opportunities to reinvest revenues in key infrastructure used by visitors and residents, such as roads, pavements, leisure facilities and parks, it would also need to reflect the needs of Stirling's key tourism sector.' Stirling Council's consultation on the proposed charge ends on Sunday, May 4. Residents can provide their feedback in an online survey – with paper copies also available at the council's libraries. A series of drop-in sessions have also been held for businesses, accommodation providers and anyone wishing to share their views on the scheme. Once the draft scheme has been produced, a formal consultation on it will begin on July 13 and run until October 11. The final version of the scheme will be presented to council for a decision on December 11, this year. If the levy is given the go ahead, it would be subject to a minimum 18-month period of implementation between its announcement and the scheme coming into effect, meaning that the earliest it could be introduced in Stirling would be in June 2027. The council says that it's estimated the introduction of a one-per cent visitor levy could generate between £1.5million and £2.3million each year, while a five per cent levy could generate as much as £7.5million. All money raised would be reinvested locally in facilities and services that are substantially for, or used, by leisure and business visitors.
Press and Journal
29-04-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Holiday home tax could DOUBLE in Green plan for Cairngorms National Park
A charge for buying a second home in national parks including the Cairngorms could double under plans to tackle a rural housing crisis. Scottish Greens want Holyrood parties to back their bid to increase the 'additional dwelling supplement' on newly purchased properties as high as 16%. They claim it would reduced the number of homes being used as holiday lets and help younger locals get onto the property ladder. Cairngorms National Park estimates 12% of all houses within its boundaries are second homes. This increases to more than 20% in the Badenoch, Strathspey and Deeside areas, covering tourist hotspots such as Aviemore and Braemar. That's much higher than the national average – which sits around 1%. The national park says this bottleneck results in 'unique pressures' across the region. Green party MSP Ross Greer hopes the tax increase will be approved as part of the SNP's wide-ranging housing bill. 'Our national parks are iconic and beautiful places, but the families who actually live there are being pushed out by second home owners,' he told the Press and Journal. 'Young people in particular are too often forced to leave the communities they grew up in after being outbid by those wealthy enough to buy a second property. 'Too many properties are used as cash cows for short-term lets.' The rule-change is likely to be discussed in Holyrood as part of the Scottish Government's package of reforms including rights for renters. Cairngorms National Park says an abundance of second homes 'can bring significant benefits' but also 'add affordability pressures' for workers. In February, we reported that Braemar locals fear the town's primary school could eventually shut if young families cannot live there. Meanwhile, one tradesman in the Royal Deeside village wanted to build his own home because the area has become 'totally unaffordable'. UK property site Rightmove reports Braemar homes sold on average for just over £396,000 in the past 12 month. That represents a 22% increase since 2019. Policies have already been put in place to target holiday homes in the national park. Highland Council introduced short-term let controls in the Badenoch and Strathspey ward. Extra planning permission is now needed before a homeowner can advertise their property as a holiday home. The additional dwelling levy was already increased from 6% to 8% at the end of last year. The Association of Self-Caterers believe the focus must be on building affordable homes instead of increasing taxes and regulation. Association chief executive Fiona Campbell said: 'Raising false hopes about tackling homelessness by hitting Scotland's tourism sector is a cynical ploy which ignores the reality of Scotland's housing crisis. 'Policy should instead focus on real solutions: repurposing long-term empty homes across Scotland and accelerating the construction of genuinely affordable housing.'
Glasgow Times
23-04-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Plan on booking a hotel in Glasgow? This is the tax everyone will pay
The plan is to charge 5% on top of all overnight accommodation in the city. An association for self-catering owners has urged people to respond and let the council know what they think of the plan. READ NEXT:Mum of three told there is no way out of overcrowded Glasgow flat The Association of Scotland's Self-Caterers has said it will affect people in Glasgow and Scotland as well as visitors to the country. It said people are also being charged more, claiming it is a 'tax on a tax' for people resident in Scotland. The consultation began in February and will continue until May 2, next Friday, before it is closed to submissions. The association, which is against a levy, said it will affect people booking an overnight stay after a gig at the Hydro, a theatre show in the city centre or visiting relatives in hospital. Fiona Campbell, CEO of the ASSC, said: 'This is a pivotal moment and we urge all those with a stake in Scottish tourism, especially our important self-catering community, to respond to Glasgow's consultation without delay. 'Whether you are a local business, a Scottish resident who holidays in your own country, or someone who works away from home and relies on short-term accommodation – your voice matters. 'Tourism is not just for tourists, it's for families, workers, and communities. The outcomes of this will shape how, and whether, tourism can continue to grow and thrive in Glasgow.' READ NEXT:Demand for urgent women only homeless accommodation in Glasgow The association said there are key differences between the Glasgow levy and those in other European cities. She added: 'First, it is a tax on a tax: the 5% Glasgow levy itself would be subject to 20% VAT, something unheard of in Europe. 'Other destinations have a reduced rate of VAT on tourism services, where Scotland does not." She said there needs to be transparency on who will be paying She added: 'This is not an 'international' levy paid only by foreign tourists with exemptions for residents, but one applicable to ordinary Scots staying overnight in Glasgow who have already made a financial contribution to local services. 'It will be a tax on those with overnight stays taking in a concert at the Hydro; it will be a tax on those staying in accommodation while visiting a relative in hospital; and it will be a tax on hardworking families on a staycation.' The cash raised is expected to be around £12m a year, based on 2,920,000 room nights a year at an average of £85 a night. When the consultation was announced, Ricky Bell, City Treasurer, said the levy would ensure that visitors contribute to the city alongside residents. He said: 'We think there is a strong case for a visitor levy - which means people who enjoy what our city has to offer, but who do not pay local taxes, are asked to contribute alongside citizens. 'Many Glaswegians will already be familiar with this sort of charge, which is very common abroad.'
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Aussie mum reveals $160,000 superannuation ‘shock' impacting millions at retirement
An Australian mum has shared the common superannuation mistake that has left her $160,000 worse off at retirement. More than one million Aussies are sole traders and therefore don't need to pay themselves superannuation. Fiona Campbell started her own virtual assistant business in 2013 after being made redundant from her previous full-time job as an executive assistant. The Newcastle mum-of-three told Yahoo Finance she was so excited to land her first client and build her own business that superannuation wasn't even on her radar. 'There was an element of not caring about super and there was this weird belief that I thought I was going to be making so much more money running my business than my super fund would earn,' she said. RELATED $3,000 superannuation boost Aussies urged to cash in on: 'More money to retire on' Aussie 'dream' falls apart four months after young expat's arrival with $20,000: 'In Canada everything's free' Centrelink announces $1,000 disaster payments for more Aussies: 'Now available' 'I thought my real goal was to earn enough money in my job and super would be a bonus." Campbell said her "highly optimistic" ended up being to her detriment. 'I feel so stupid saying this, but at the time, I thought super was something that old people thought about," she said. Campbell said she was charging clients an hourly rate of $40 through her business, Thought Penny. While this was more than her previously net take-home rate of pay as an employee, she said she didn't take into account the trade-offs of working as a sole trader contractor. That included a lack of annual leave, sick leave entitlements and superannuation wasn't until Campbell had been running her business for six years that she realised how much her decision not to pay herself superannuation was costing her. She was watching a program about superannuation and retirement and realised she was hugely behind. 'I worked out it was hundreds of thousands of dollars that I've missed out on earning in super. It was devastating because I can't go back and regain six years of compounding interest,' she told Yahoo Finance. 'That ship has sailed, which was a shock.' According to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), a single person would need $595,000 in superannuation at 67 to have a comfortable retirement, while couples would need $690,000. Campbell calculated that she missed out on at least $30,000 worth of superannuation payments over the six-year period where she wasn't paying herself. Based on that amount growing at an average return of 7 per cent for 25 years and the power of compound interest, Campbell said that amount could have grown into $160,000 by her retirement. 'I realised just how much [superannuation] we'd need to continue the lifestyle we have now when we retire and it was quite shocking,' she said. 'I realised my lifestyle is gonna have to change, or I'm really going to have to get my butt into gear and start planning now.' Campbell changed her business from a sole trader to a company structure, which means she now legally has to pay herself super. She has also started actively making extra contributions to top up her balance. 'I'm being more aggressive about putting money towards my super but realising that past decisions mean it can't be my only strategy to prepare for retirement,' she said. While Campbell has since increased her rates and is charging "three times the amount" she used to, she said she would still have to work 'so many hours' to earn back the money she has lost over those years. 'It would have been a lot easier if I had been diligent. Even if it was just a fraction of the super that I'd be earning as an employee, putting aside something would have made such a big difference,' she said. Campbell said she is fortunate her husband earns enough through his full-time job that her family is able to live comfortably while still being able to save and invest for their retirement. She has also founded the VA Lead Network, which connects virtual assistants and online business managers, and hopes to build it into an asset that she can sell in the future. Campbell now employs a team of virtual assistants through her company. When she engages contractors on an hourly rate, she said she pays them super in line with employee entitlements. For those working on deliverables-based contracts who aren't required to be paid super, she works to find a rate that means they can afford to pay themselves super. Campbell said she wants to make sure other sole traders and contractors don't fall into the same superannuation trap she did. 'I think it's so important and there's a moral obligation to make sure everyone on your team, whether they are an employee or a contractor, is earning a fair income and is in a position to be able to make super contributions,' she said.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Glasgow to consult on introduction of tourist tax
Glasgow City Council will hold a public consultation over introducing a 5% visitor levy on overnight stays in the city. The tourist tax would apply to hotels, hostels, guest houses, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation. It is hoped it would to generate £12.5m annually, with £11m going towards events and improvements to the "look and feel" of the city. It comes after Scotland's first tourist tax was approved in Edinburgh, with the 5% levy commencing from July 2026. The Glasgow consultation will be open to residents and the accommodation industry. What is the tourist tax and how much will it cost? Edinburgh 'tourist tax' to be set at 5% Some businesses are concerned the process is being rushed. Fiona Campbell, CEO of the association of Scotland's self-caterers said Edinburgh rushed "headlong into introducing a tourist tax" and other councils should "take stock and tread carefully". The consultation process must "listen to the voice of business who will ultimately be responsible for administering this scheme", she said. City councillor Richard Bell said he is keen to implement the tax "as fast as we possibly can without tripping ourselves up". He told a meeting of the city's administration committee: "Research by the Scottish Government and Edinburgh University both conclude that at this stage there is no evidence to suggest the introduction of a visitor levy will have an adverse effect on visitor numbers." He said the impact would be monitored if a scheme is introduced. Cllr Bell said the tax was about making the city "more attractive for Glaswegians" as well as tourists. Accommodation providers would be liable for the levy, and required to submit quarterly reports. It is proposed they retain 1.5% of the funds collected at their establishment to cover their own costs. Report by Drew Sandelands at the Local Democracy Service.
