THE FSB is calling for the government’s Autumn Statement to deliver reform of business rates, tax simplification, better roads and faster broadband.

It says with the ending of the doubling of small business rates relief in March 2015, “384,000 small businesses are at risk of returning to paying rates they can ill afford, with 190,000 others potentially seeing their rates bills double”.

The FSB said: “With the economic recovery just taking hold and many firms on the High Street still struggling, it is essential that the temporary doubling of relief, announced in the 2013 Autumn Statement speech, is extended.”The FSB is also calling for investment in infrastructure.

It said: “A key priority for the Chancellor should be to invest in improving our road infrastructure, and address bottlenecks in regional road networks.

“Eighty-two per cent of small firms rely on the road network to run their businesses. Creating a faster more modern digital infrastructure is also essential for businesses growth, and is a vital tool to encouraging growth in all parts of the UK.”

The FSB is also asking for simpler tax to make it easier to understand and comply with.

It said: “Overly complex tax rules cost small businesses both time and money, with more than three quarters paying around £3,500 a year to comply with obligations.

“Action to simplify rules is needed as three fifths of small businesses report the UK tax system has a negative impact on their ability to take on more staff and grow.”

Neil Eames, the FSB’s development manager, said: “Businesses want an Autumn Statement that delivers stability and certainty, and provides them with incentives to grow and create employment.

“That means investing in our infrastructure to match the world’s best, whether that be broadband, road, rail or air.

“Businesses will also be looking for measures to ease the cost of business rates, and a commitment to fundamental reform of the current, outdated system. To support business growth and reduce costs, further efforts to simplify our complex tax system should also form a central part of the statement.”