Tax

• Edinburgh council votes in favour of ‘tourist tax’

  City of Edinburgh councillors have voted in favour for what could be the UK’s first ‘tourist tax’.

  

• ‘Tweaking’ wealth taxes could raise £7bn a year, think tank says

  Reforming Britain’s wealth taxes could help the Government raise £7bn a year by 2022-23 to help cover the cost of public services, a think tank has argued.

  

• Council chiefs call for national taxation to save care services

  Whitehall must start making the case for increases in national taxation in order to fund struggling adult social care services, local authority chiefs say.

  

• Tax increases ‘possible solution’ to social care crisis, council chiefs say

  Local government leaders have proposed a series of tax increases as ‘possible solutions’ to paying for adult social care over the long-term.

  

• Tax-raising powers for mayors could help reduce health inequalities, report says

  A leading research group has called for cities to be given more powers to help improve public health.

  

• Think tank calls for ‘skills levy’ on construction industry

  A leading think tank has called on the Government to introduce a levy in the construction industry to boost skills training as part of a plan for Brexit.

  

• Tax increases on insurance exposing public sector to ‘higher risk’, insurer warns

  Increases in the tax on insurance policies is leaving public sector and voluntary organisations exposed to higher risk, a leading insurer has warned.

  

• Councils defend spending on public health interventions

  Council chiefs have defended spending on tackling harmful lifestyle choices against ‘flawed’ study which accuses them of restricting individual freedom.

  

• Wales to replace stamp duty with ‘progressive’ land tax

  Most first-time buyers in Wales will no longer pay tax on their new home under plans announced by the devolved Welsh government.

  

• Council chiefs hit back at ‘stealth tax’ accusation

  Councils are imposing ‘stealth taxes’ on residents, think tank claims, but council chiefs argue they are bringing in less from fees than five years ago.