Tipp restaurant owner seeking VAT reduction to aid small businesses

Photo © Artaxerxes

A Tipperary restaurant owner is calling for immediate State assistance to keep small businesses open.

Niamh Quinn of Flanagan’s Lane in Tipp Town wants to see the VAT rate for the hospitality sector reduced from its current rate of 13.5 percent.

The restaurant opened on March 1st, two weeks before Covid-19 restrictions were rolled out which forced its current closure.

Ms Quinn says that restaurants need help now:

“To cut the VAT rate would be great. We don’t need more loans, we need help. We’re already paying back loans.

“Also, until the vaccine comes in the majority of people probably won’t feel as safe to go out and be as comfortable as they were before. So we need the Covid-19 part-payments to be kept in place until there’s a vaccine.”