Shirtmaker and tailor to King demanding an end to the 'tourist tax'

Shirtmaker and tailor to King Charles join more than 130 businesses – and Victoria Beckham – in demanding an end to the ‘tourist tax’ on shoppers

• A shirtmaker and tailor to the King have joined a Mail campaign to axe tourist tax 
• Read more: How Paris and Dubai are cheaper city breaks for foreign tourists 

A shirtmaker and a tailor to the King are backing calls to scrap the ‘tourist tax’ on shoppers.

Emma Willis, who sells bespoke shirts that have been worn by King Charles, said axing the tax would benefit the Exchequer.

And Anda Rowland, director of Savile Row tailor Anderson & Sheppard, whose double-breasted suits are sported by the King, has also added her voice to the campaign, saying the British economy is missing out on the ‘huge positive effect’ of the Coronation due to the tax.

More than 130 business leaders have written to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt calling on him to bring back VAT-free shopping for overseas visitors. 

Ms Willis says the high-end tourist trade is ‘hugely important’ for her Jermyn Street shop and her neighbours at the upmarket address close to Buckingham Palace in London. 

A shirtmaker and a tailor to the King are backing calls to scrap the ‘tourist tax’ on shoppers. Emma Willis (right) and Anda Rowland (left)

‘The tourist tax is not just an issue for retailers but for manufacturers,’ says Ms Willis, 60.

‘We make all our own shirts so it is not helping British manufacturing. We have 30 people in our factory in Gloucester, where we employ and train young people.’

Ms Willis added: ‘About 40 per cent of our sales are to overseas customers. Without any doubt at all, scrapping the tax would lead to more sales and it would be a benefit to the Exchequer.’

A long-standing concession allowing international tourists to shop here tax-free was abolished in 2021. Ms Rowland added that some customers were cancelling trips to the UK short so they can go shopping in Milan or Paris instead. 

‘London’s a wonderful destination for culture, theatre, the arts. Shopping used to be a great part of that,’ she said. 

Read more: How Paris, Milan and Dubai are cheaper city breaks for foreign tourists than London due to brutal tourist tax

She expects the fallout will ‘get worse’ as more tourists find out about the tax. 

‘Americans only really started travelling again last year, so a lot of people aren’t aware [of the tax change]. I don’t think we have really seen the effect of this.’

The Treasury has resisted calls to scrap the tax, claiming it would cost £2 billion a year. But economists argue these figures are an overestimate that are more than offset by the tax generated if visitors spent more cash here.

Supporters of the campaign include Victoria Beckham and luxury retailers such as Harvey Nichols, Paul Smith and Fortnum & Mason.

Pamela Harper, the boss of luxury gift company Halcyon Days and President of the Royal Warrant Holders Association, warned that visitors will ‘vote with their feet’ if the tax is not ditched. 

‘If you’re buying a luxury watch, it’s [the extra cost of the tax] a few thousand pounds,’ she said. ‘It’s short-sighted and makes no sense.’

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