Council Tax and Stamp Duty are unfair, regressive and distorting taxes that need replacing with progressive alternatives. They allow those who can afford the most valuable homes to pay very little with everyone else picking up the rest of the cost.
By failing to tax these properties, we create a system where many houses are left empty – increase the cost of living for all of us.
There’s also a regional aspect to this – with council tax rising more in less prosperous areas.
We think that a property tax should follow some obvious principles
| Those with more should contribute more. Property tax should be proportional to the value of the property | We should use our land better Our tax system should incentivise making sure everyone has somewhere they can call home | Simpler is better The simpler we make the system, the harder it is to avoid tax and the lower the cost of implementation |
A land value tax achieves these goals. Land value taxes have been part our our party’s platform for decades – and for good reason.
Unfortunately, implementing an LVT is politically tricky, to say the least. That’s why we also support Fairer Share’s calls for a proportional property tax. A swap from Council Tax to a PPT would be a massive step in the right direction – and is much more likely to see widespread support soon.
75% of households would be better off under a Proportional Property Tax
fairershare.org.uk