UK Landlord Forum / Life

Can anyone explain something that puzzles me? In my town there are a few retail premises that sit empty for ever.One restaurant  premises in particular has  various"Opening soon Thai/veggie/Indian café-bar" signs, displayed over several years,but nothing ever appears.People say it is a tax dodge,but how does that work? Even without mortgages my properties cost me money when empty,lost rent,council tax etc. They can only save tax because they are getting no income surely ? 

I suppose saying "it's for tax reasons" sounds better than "I bought the wrong property and now I can't get a tenant for love nor money" 

Thanks for that-I thought I was too thick to grasp the way the system works.