Beauty business slams ‘misguided’ tax hike plans forward of price range

British Beauty Council urges Rachel Reeves not to increase tax on employers’ National Insurance contributions

The beauty industry is the latest to sound the alarm over likely tax hikes in the Budget. 

Lobby group the British Beauty Council, whose patrons include big brands from Sephora to Estee Lauder, has urged the Chancellor to think again on ‘hugely misguided’ proposals. 

The group, whose ambassadors include Rita Ora (pictured) and Kate Moss, implored Rachel Reeves not to increase tax on employers’ National Insurance contributions. 

British Beauty Council boss Millie Kendall said this would ‘most likely prevent wage increases and deter people from hiring more staff therefore stifling growth’. 

Possible tax increases have spooked businesses, who say they would struggle to hire staff and expand with yet another cost headache. 

Kendall urged Reeves not to scrap entrepreneurs relief, which allows founders to pay less capital gains tax when selling their firms. 

‘Entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of our economy,’ she said. And scrapping this relief ‘goes against the Chancellor’s primary motive – to drive growth’. 

In a letter to Reeves seen by The Mail, the group said beauty contributed £27.2bn to the economy last year, according to Oxford Economics.