The Labour-Plaid Assembly Government is conducting a revaluation of local business rates and inspectors have been told to take into account any car boot sales held regularly on premises such as pub car parks according to Preseli Pembrokeshire AM Paul Davies.
Any popular sales could be targeted and the owners of their venues hit with higher business rates.
That could mean higher costs for organisers of the regular sales at Withybush and Carew, as well as pub landlords running occasional sales in their car parks.
“Government guidance has instructed pub car parks to be singled out in particular for revaluation so the Government will be charging struggling pub owners for diversifying their business,” said Preseli Pembrokeshire AM Paul Davies.
“Such higher taxes will inevitably be passed on to customers in the form of higher admission charges and more expensive goods.”
The Welsh Conservatives have called on the Government to postpone the rates revaluation which will see rates bills rise next spring.
“In the depths of a recession, car boot sales are more important than ever to help households raise some cash or give people a chance to buy second-hand.
“They also help the environment by reducing the amount of unwanted items thrown into landfill.
“Labour now wants to tax people who use car boot sales to kit out their homes.”
