It's time to scrap the unfair Council Tax
New polling published by Tax Justice Scotland shows decisive public backing for reform of Scotland’s broken Council Tax system, with a clear majority of Scots wanting urgent action to replace it with something fairer.
More than half of Scots want parties to commit to reforming Council Tax during the next Parliament.
An overwhelming 83% of respondents said any replacement system should be fairer and 63% of people support moving to a system based on current property values rather than historic 1991 estimates.
Scottish Green MSPs say the findings reflect what communities across Scotland already know: that Council Tax is outdated, unfair and holding back vital local services.
Patrick Harvie MSP said:
“Today’s polling shows that the public is well ahead of the politicians on this. People across Scotland want a fairer system, and they want it now.
“Scotland’s council tax system has been woefully outdated for decades. It leaves councils in the lurch, struggling to pay for essential services, while unfairly taxing lots of residents.
“The polling also shows strong backing for modernising how homes are valued, that is why Scottish Greens have consistently proposed a fairer tax that is related to the actual property value rather than arbitrary and outdated valuations from 1991.
“We want to scrap the out-of-date system and replace it with a new fit-for-purpose system. Under our plans, most households will pay less, while those in the highest-value homes would finally pay their fair share.
“Scottish Greens have already shown that real, positive change is possible. We have already increased taxes on second and empty homes and recently pressured the government into introducing taxes on million pound homes and private jets, ensuring the richest in society pay what they should.
“Greens in Parliament have made the tax system fairer and raised more money for public services. The next Parliament must finally finish the job and deliver a fair, modern system of local taxation that works for people and communities, not just the wealthiest property owners.”