Two-thirds of people surveyed in Scotland believe council tax should be replaced with a system that reflects income and local priorities, according to the results of a new poll.
The survey by the Commission on Local Tax Reform, revealed that while people said the current council tax system was easy to understand and pay, it was also ‘unfair’ and failed to protect those that couldn’t afford to pay.
However, opinion was split between creating a hybrid tax based on property value, wealth and income, and the introduction of new council tax bands to create a more progressive system.
Opinion was mixed on what an alternative system should look like, with a hybrid tax (based on a mix of property and land value, wealth and income) and a review of the existing council tax banding system among the options highlighted in order to create a fairer, more progressive system of local taxation.
Marco Biagi, minister for local government and co-chair of the Commission said: ‘There is clear consensus from those that we have heard from – whether through this survey, our call for evidence and the public events that have taken place – that the current system of council tax, while highly visible, is in urgent need of reform.
‘Ensuring that as many people as possible have had the opportunity to engage in our work will add weight and credibility to our findings when we report.’
The Commission, set up by the Scottish Government and Cosla, will publish its final report on the future of council tax in Scotland in the coming weeks.
