Pub bosses have called for immediate tax relief to prevent widespread closures and redundancies.
Sector leaders who took part in an emergency summit in London say they are "petrified" about the consequences of forthcoming tax increases revealed in last month's Budget.
The British Beer and Pub Association is urging the Government to implement a 30% business rates relief scheme specifically for pubs to safeguard the future of venues nationwide.
Publicans have cautioned that higher business rates could result in up to 15,000 job losses and hundreds of closures.
In last month's Budget, the Chancellor revealed that the current 40% discount for retail, hospitality and leisure enterprises – capped at £110,000 per business – will cease on March 31 next year.
From the next financial year, this will be superseded by a new framework, which will see rates multipliers for retail, hospitality and leisure companies set 5p below the standard rate with no cap on support.
The Government has also unveiled a £3.2 billion transitional relief programme to limit annual increases.
But industry bodies and taxation specialists have indicated that the modification, combined with an increase in rateable values for most pubs, will lead to a substantial annual rise.
The BBPA stated that pubs have experienced their rateable values climb by an average of 30%, meaning they face an average increase of 63%, or approximately £6,000, after also being affected by the termination of the existing discount. The association also revealed that approximately 4,800 of the smallest pubs will face a business rates bill for the first time following an increase in their valuations.
Pub leaders convened an emergency summit in London on Wednesday to assess the implications of the tax changes and have now demanded a 30% relief package to be introduced from April next year.
The BBPA stated that the Government's proposals to mitigate the new rates through transitional relief will "not counter the devastating impact", with the overall bill still projected to increase by £150 million in 2028.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA, said: "This budget left publicans petrified and many fearing there is no way they can survive these sky-high bill increases or keep their home.
"The situation is so grave that it requires immediate action as the very existence of thousands of pubs is at stake.
"Without urgent intervention, communities will lose their pubs at an alarming rate and take with them livelihoods and jobs.
"A 30% pub-specific relief is the simplest, fairest and fastest way to protect Britain's locals and we want to work with Government so we can ensure the sector survives."
This follows warnings from live music and event sector leaders to the Government that elevated business rates payments could result in "hundreds" of grassroots venues shutting down permanently. In a letter to the Prime Minister, industry bodies and unions also warned that ticket prices for consumers will rise as a consequence of higher rates.











