Greens call for end to King’s property tax break
Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer has tabled proposals to end the King’s exclusive 100% tax exemption when buying property in Scotland.
Mr Greer has lodged proposals to the Housing (Scotland) Bill that would close the loophole allowing the King to purchase property in Scotland without paying any Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT).
Any other family buying a property worth over £145,000 would pay LBTT at 5-12%, depending on the value of the property.
This is one of several tax exemptions enjoyed by the monarchy. They are also exempt from taxes reserved to the UK Government including corporation tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax.
Mr Greer said:
“It’s simply unjustifiable that one of the richest men in the country gets a free pass from paying tax because of the family he was born into.
"The Scottish Greens would obviously scrap the monarchy in a heartbeat, but even royalists must agree that this is an absurd and undeserved perk for someone more than capable of paying his fair share towards our public services.
“The Crown is an expensive relic, and an insult to democracy. One family should not be allowed to exempt itself from whichever laws it doesn’t want to follow.
“The Scottish Parliament may not have the power to end every tax perk enjoyed by the Windsors, but we can end this one and set an example for the UK Government to follow.
“My proposals are a modest but important step towards a fairer Scotland. If Parliament agrees, it would be a powerful statement against entrenched power and privilege.
"It’s long past time that we challenged rather than pandered to elites who want one rule for themselves and another for the rest of us.”