A long-running dispute over whether ATM machines attached to retail premises should be separately classified for business rates has been decided today (May 20).
The answer is no, following the ruling by the UK Supreme Court, which upheld the Court of Appeal’s previous decision.
The ruling has been claimed as a victory by ATM machine supplier Cardtronics, which said it would be: “Welcomed by retailers large and small who will now look to recover the estimated £300 million in business rates paid on ATM sites since 2010.”
Emily Wood, partner at law firm DMH Stallard, represented Cardtronics throughout the litigation.
She said: “We have seen high streets across the country begin to struggle to survive, right through to now where the current pandemic has closed whole towns and isolated communities. As we move out of lockdown, it’s essential that all that can be done is done, to open these high streets up and provide services to rural communities..
“Retaining the imposition of rates on ATMs would have had huge ramifications not only for the industry, but the provision of available cash to spend locally and where needed. More so than ever, in the current climate, the right decision has been upheld by the Court.”
Cardtronics is the world’s largest ATM operator and manages nearly 300,000 machines across 10 countries; around 20,000 are in the UK.
