He calls it the 9-9-9 Plan, which consists of a brand-new retail sales tax layered on top of a new-and-improved business transactions corporate tax (a substitute for the current corporate income and payroll taxes), in turn layered on top of a new-and-improved comprehensive factor income tax (a replacement for the current mishmash of individual income and payroll taxes).
"We have come top of the table because of the international spread of our business and multi-brand business model and not because of any tax initiative, " he added.
While it would be natural for landlords to take back shops they can re-lease, after a brand stops paying rent, the threat of paying tax on empty properties often stops them from doing so.