WETHERSPOONS is offering customers a 7.5% discount on all food and drink for just one day, to highlight the "benefit of a permanent VAT reduction in the hospitality industry".
The offer will be available all day on Thursday, September 12, at most of the chain's pubs across the UK, apart from those in airports and at Haven holiday parks.
Here are just some of the participating pubs in Somerset: The Perkin Warbeck on East Street, Taunton; Yeovil's The William Dampier; The Cerdic in Chard; The Lantokay in Street; The Carnival Inn in Bridgwater; The Quarter Jack in Wells; and many more.
No voucher code is needed to redeem the discount, and it will be applied to all drink and food orders made at the bar or through the app during opening hours at participating pubs.
The chain is offering the discount as part of its campaign calling for "equal tax between pubs and supermarkets".
Prices at the pubs will be reduced for one day only to mark Tax Equality Day (in Scotland, in line with Scottish licensing laws, prices will be reduced on food and non-alcoholic drinks only).
For example, a customer spending £10 on food and drinks will pay only £9.25 on Tax Equality Day.
Wetherspoon’s founder and chairman, Tim Martin, said: “The biggest threat to the hospitality industry is the vast disparity in tax treatment among pubs, restaurants and supermarkets. “Supermarkets pay zero VAT in respect of food sales, whereas pubs, bars and restaurants pay 20 per cent.
“This tax benefit allows supermarkets to subsidise the selling price of beer.
“Pubs have been under fantastic pressure for decades, because of the tax disadvantages which they have with supermarkets.
“It doesn’t make sense for the hospitality industry to subsidise supermarkets.
“A VAT cut to 12.5 per cent is needed to ensure that pubs, bars and restaurants do not continue to close, but instead thrive, invest and create new jobs.
“Customers coming to Wetherspoon’s pubs on Thursday 12 September will find the price of their food and drinks to be lower than normal.
“We call on the chancellor to create tax equality between the hospitality industry and supermarkets.”
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