Campaign to end Double Taxation
The British bingo industry is being threatened by the system of double taxation, which dictates that bingo revenue should be subject to the payment of both 17.5% value added tax and 15% gross profits tax. No other form of gambling or leisure industry in the UK is subject to a comparable regime. Double taxation was a contributory factor in the closure of 37 bingo clubs in Great Britain in 2007 and many more will close if it is not reformed.
Unless the Government reforms bingo taxation, clubs will close, thousands of people who work in the clubs will be left unemployed, millions of customers (principally women and a large number of elderly people) will suffer the loss of an important social amenity and British taxpayers will be left to foot the bill for the loss of bingo's substantial contribution to the economy.
This page is dedicated to the bingo industry's campaign for a fair deal on tax.
| Document | Date | Format | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiscal myopia The case against double taxation | February 2008 | 462 KB | |
| Leisure report article on double taxation | February 2008 | 530 KB | |
| Presentation to Alistair Darling MP | October 2007 | 441 KB | |
| Ministerial statement on double taxation | September 2007 | 228 KB | |
| Unlucky for Some a Henley Centre report on the social impact of bingo club closures | August 2007 | 700 KB |
MPs supporting bingo
During the last 12 months, the following Members of Parliament have supported the bingo industrys campaign for fair taxation through submissions to HM Treasury, Parliamentary Questions, the signing of Early Day Motions and meetings with members of the bingo industry:
- Hugh Bayley (Labour) City of York
- Hilary Benn (Labour) Leeds Central
- Clive Betts (Labour) Sheffield, Attercliffe
- Peter Bone (Conservative) Wellingborough
- Graham Brady (Conservative) Altrincham & Sale West
- Nick Brown (Labour) Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend
- Jeremy Browne (Liberal Democrat) Taunton
- David Cairns (Labour) Inverclyde
- Ronnie Campbell (Labour) Blyth Valley
- Charles Clarke (Labour) Norwich South
- David Crausby (Labour) Bolton, North East
- Mary Creagh (Labour) Wakefield
- Janet Dean (Labour) Burton
- Parmjit Dhanda (Labour) Gloucester
- James Duddridge (Conservative) Rochford & Douthend East
- Clive Efford (Labour) Eltham
- Tobias Ellwood (Conservative) Bournemouth East
- Lynne Featherstone (Liberal Democrat) Hornsey & Wood Green
- Ian Gibson (Labour) Norwich North
- Paul Goodman (Conservative) Wycombe
- Ian LiddellGrainger (Conservative) Bridgwater
- Patrick Hall (Labour) Bedford
- John Hemming (Liberal Democrat) Birmingham, Yardley
- Doug Henderson (Labour) Newcastle North
- Meg Hillier (Labour) Hackney South & Shoreditch
- Margaret Hodge (Labour) Barking
- Kelvin Hopkins (Labour) Luton North
- Jimmy Hood (Labour) Lanark & Hamilton East
- Stewart Hosie (SNP) Dundee East
- Eric Illsley (Labour) Barnsley Central
- Diana Johnson (Labour) Kingston upon Hull North
- Sadiq Khan (Labour) Tooting
- Stephen Ladyman (Labour) South Thanet
- David Laws ( Liberal Democrat) Yeovil
- Tony Lloyd (Labour) Manchester Central
- Kerry McCarthy (Labour) Bristol East
- John McDonnell (Labour) Hayes & Harlington
- Jim McGovern (Labour) Dundee West
- Shahid Malik (Labour) Dewsbury
- Rob Marris (Labour) Wolverhampton South West
- Gordon Marsden (Labour) Blackpool South
- Andrew Miller (Labour) Ellesmere Port & Neston
- Malcolm Moss (Conservative) North East Cambridgeshire
- Chris Mullin (Labour) Sunderland South
- Paul Murphy (Labour) Torfaen
- Sandra Osborne (Labour) Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock
- Ian Pearson (Labour) Dudley South
- Andrew Pelling (Conservative) Croydon Central
- John Pugh (Liberal Democrat) Southport
- Linda Riordan (Labour) Halifax
- Andrew Rosindell (Conservative) Romford
- Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat) Colchester
- Alison Seabeck (Labour) Plymouth, Devonport
- Barry Sheerman (Labour) Huddersfield
- Sir Peter Soulsby (Labour) Leicester South
- Bob Spink (Conservative) Castle Point
- Dari Talor (Labour) Stockton South
- Paddy Tipping (Labour) Sherwood
- Ben Wallace (Conservative) Lancaster & Wyre
- Claire Ward (Labour) Watford
- Alan Whitehead (Labour) Southampton
- Rob Wilson ( Conservative) Reading East)
- Iain Wright (Labour) Hartlepool
- Tony Wright (Labour) Great Yarmouth
- Derek Wyatt (Labour) Sittingbourne & Sheppey
- Sir George Young (Conservative) North West Hampshire
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