82p in the Pound - hospo crowned Britain's most-taxed sector

Here's a stat to bring up next time a customer moans about the price of a pint. New analysis for the British Retail Consortium, put together by Flint Global and shared by UKHospitality, compared 11 big sectors, and hospo came out as the most heavily taxed of the lot.

In 2025/26, hospitality's business tax bill worked out at 82p for each £1 of profit made before tax. Retail came in at 72p, the average across all 11 sectors was 50p, and banking paid 40.5p. Hospitality's total tax bill came to £22.9bn, and together with retail it was £62bn, through business rates, employer National Insurance, VAT and the rest. The report says the rates rose again in 2026/27, and that one in seven high street properties is now empty.

Ahead of the Budget, UKHospitality and the BRC want the Chancellor to cut the load. UKHospitality's ask is a bigger business rates discount for retail, hospitality and leisure, plus help for venues hit hardest by the 2026 revaluation. Its boss Allen Simpson called the data "staggering".

So what for hospo people? When most of the profit goes straight to the Treasury, it's the hours, the pay rises and the new openings that get cut. Whatever side you're on politically, this Budget matters to your pay packet.