Brilliant and excoriating. What a total mess. “We seem to be moving ever closer to a system in which the government gives every business a score out of ten each year according to how much it likes the business that year, and sets its tax rate that year accordingly.”
Institute for Fiscal Studies
@TheIFS
Jul 23
NEW: Business rates have gone from being one of the most stable and simple taxes in the system to one of the least. 📗 @StuartAdam_IFS and @isaacdelestre explain why a coherent view of business rates and how they should be designed is sorely needed, in our response to today's announcement:
Quote from IFS Senior Economist Stuart Adam: "Business rates have gone from being one of the most stable and simple taxes in the system to one of the least. We seem to be moving ever closer to a system in which the government gives every business a score out of ten each year according to how much it likes the business that year, and sets its tax rate that year accordingly."

ALT Quote from IFS Senior Economist Stuart Adam: "Business rates have gone from being one of the most stable and simple taxes in the system to one of the least. We seem to be moving ever closer to a system in which the government gives every business a score out of ten each year according to how much it likes the business that year, and sets its tax rate that year accordingly."

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Replying to @PJTheEconomist
Taxes for my enemies, subsidies for my friends. Enemies and friends get decided by the political winds.

Jul 24, 2026 · 2:15 AM UTC
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