Hospitality

‘It’s hard to stay positive’: restaurateurs brace themselves for 4% Vat hike

The rate will increase to 13.5 per cent at midnight

Vanessa Murphy (right) and Anna Cabrera of Las Tapas de Loloa and La Gordita in Dublin: “There’s a feeling of ‘kick us while we’re down’”

Representatives for tourism and hospitality around the country have criticised the Vat increase that is set to hit the sector at midnight tonight.

The rate for tourism and hospitality, as well as some ancillary activities and hairdressing, will revert to 13.5 per cent on from September 1. The 9 per cent rate, which covers 20,000 businesses, was introduced in 2020 as a temporary support for hotels and restaurants during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It has been ...