🙌 Our very own NIA COOPER, leading the way at every turn.
I was incredibly proud to be part of the team that successfully overturned the Uber v Sefton High Court ruling at the Court of Appeal last week. Representing 38 smaller private-hire operators across the UK, Veezu led the charge on intervening in the proceedings and securing a favourable outcome for the private hire industry. The nub of the case was simple – how to interpret two lines in a licensing statute dating back to 1976, which practically speaking, had been interpreted without issue by Licensing Authorities, operators and regulators for nearly five decades. The rub with the legislation emerged owing to the fact that one new interpretation of the relevant lines in the statute would lead to VAT at 20% being applied to all private hire vehicle (PHV) fares, while the other time-honoured interpretation would allow the status quo to continue (with VAT only applying on certain types of PHV journeys). The 2023 ruling that could have seen private hire fares spike has now been quashed. Despite the unanimous decision of the Court of Appeal, Uber is appealing to the Supreme Court and so the VAT issue is still live. The PHV trade is the only 24/7 door-to-door mode of transport in areas outside London and in most areas is often a lifeline for several households and communities. There is a new Government, with a fresh agenda and we must make sure that we keep this important issue at the top of their list of priorities. The PHV industry has until the 8th of August to submit its views on how VAT is treated across the industry, and we must grasp this opportunity with both hands - you can respond here https://lnkd.in/exydUaMN. If you are in the PHV sector and want to know more about the consultation, please get in touch and share your views here https://wkf.ms/3ziFKUN Huge thanks go to our external legal team - Carrie Gwyther Stephen Meade Gerald Gouriet KC Capital Law Ltd