Following a ruling by the Appeal Court today, retailers will no longer have to pay rates for cash machines outside their shops. About £300m that has already been charged will now be refunded.
Sainsbury’s, Tesco and the Co-op, which had taken the case to appeal, are set to benefit immediately from the favorable ruling.
In a statement, Tesco said: “We recognise the vital role that ATMs play in the daily lives of our customers and remain committed to providing this service to them,” a spokesperson said.
“We welcome today’s result and the confirmation of our belief that ATMs should not be separately rateable.”
A Co-Op spokesperson added: “The case had threatened the viability of the ATM network, and risked the future of much-needed banking services across communities.”
The court also stated that the Valuation Office, which brought the original case, should not be allowed to appeal to the Supreme Court. However, the Valuation Office can still petition the Supreme Court should it wish to do so.
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