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Government launches energy bill cut plan for small businesses

12 Apr 2023

The government has launched a new campaign aimed at helping businesses, charities and public sector organisations reduce their energy bills.
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Indie retailers should start to feel the benefit of business rates drop

12 Apr 2023

Shops, pubs and other high street businesses should be tax cuts of more than 50% after new property valuations came into effect earlier this month.
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ActSmart/IndieRetail address change

11 Apr 2023

ActSmart/IndieRetail have moved office. We’re still in the same business centre but have moved unit.
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Get behind the #ShopKind campaign and help spread the word

4 Apr 2023

With the week commencing 17 April being designated as #ShopKind Week, we are urging all our members to get involved in the campaign by sharing the materials on social media and across their... Read more…

Competition watchdog warns online retailers on pressure-selling tactics

4 Apr 2023

The UK's competition watchdog has announced a crackdown on online pressure-selling tactics that can push consumers into making hasty decisions they later regret.
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Free Easter Toolkit Download!

31 Mar 2023

Checkout Bira's FREE opening times and social media toolkit downloads for Easter!
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Jewellery sector’s Inspiring Independents Top 100 returns for 2023

30 Mar 2023

Retail Jeweller’s Inspiring Independents, the annual list of the top 100 independent jewellery and watch retailers in the UK and Ireland, is back for 2023 with voting open from everyone... Read more…

Local Bike Shop Day set for April 29th

29 Mar 2023

The ACT has announced that the annual Local Bike Shop Day https://localbikeshopday.co.uk/ will take place on Saturday 29... Read more…

Convenience stores saw record levels of theft in 2022, according to ACS report

29 Mar 2023

New figures from the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) have revealed record levels of shop theft being committed against local convenience retailers over the last year.
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Local leaders claim up to 40% of shops must be repurposed in next five years

27 Mar 2023

Up to 40% of shops will need to be reinvented into anything from go-kart tracks to food markets over the next five years or “wither on the vine” as demand for physical retail wanes,... Read more…

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Portugal becomes first EU country to cut VAT on bicycle purchases this year

Posted on in Business News, Cycles News

Portugal has become the first EU country to cut VAT on bicycle purchases this year, from 23% to 6%.

Cyling on bridge

The move comes 12 months after new EU legislation permitted such changes, and Portugal sees it as part of a bid to boost cycling to 10% of all trips by 2030. The European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) estimates customers will save up to €300 on a €2000 ebike if retailers and suppliers pass savings on to customers.

The move is a major advocacy success for ECF’s Portuguese member organisations, together with the country’s bicycle industry association ABIMOTA. For MUBi, which advocates, encourages, and demonstrate the benefits of urban cycling, it was one of six priority points for their campaign on cycling-friendly measures.

Rui Igreja from MUBi said: “We are very happy that, after dozens of meetings, the Portuguese Parliament has listened to MUBi’s arguments for reduced VAT rate on bicycles. The reduction from 23% to 6% will make pedelecs and cargo bikes more accessible. These have a high potential to substitute daily car trips, but their high price tag has been an obstacle to their adoption in Portugal. The yearly cost of this measure will be lower than what the current duty reduction on road fossil fuels costs per week. Besides, unlike motorised vehicles, cycling generates significant positive externalities, namely in terms of public health, which largely outweigh the costs of the VAT reduction.”

At a European level, the potential to reduce VAT rates on supply, rental and repair of bicycles, including e-bikes, was opened when the corresponding legislation entered into force in April 2022. ECF had advocated for this possibility in a joint campaign together with the Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry (CONEBI), and supported by Cycling Industries Europe (CIE). After the change in the legislation, the three organisations together supported their respective members in their national advocacy efforts, which now have borne fruit for the first time.

The cycling sector now looks to other EU countries joining Portugal in making bicycles more accessible for citizens through VAT reductions.

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