Fashion designer Sir Paul Smith calls for return of VAT-free shopping for tourists in UK

Sir Paul Smith is among more than 400 business leaders who have signed a letter to the Treasury calling for the return of VAT-free shopping for international visitors to the UK. It comes after it was scrapped in 2020, leading many business leaders to argue that it puts the UK at a disadvantage compared with other shopping destinations across Europe. Mr Smith told Sky News: “As somebody who has lots of shops but not just that but somebody who is very proud of our country, there are a lot [fewer] people coming to the country especially to shops, restaurants and museums. “About a third of our business was tax-free shopping. So yes it’s about income and money but it’s also about the country as well.”