What are your thoughts on replacing council tax with land value tax?

[MikeRafone]

So what are the thoughts to scrap council tax and instead tax value land?

that is what Andy Burnham wants to do if he gets where he want

he sees council tax as a regressive tax, as unfair and wants to see it changed to a land value tax.

Churchill was. In favour of Land tax as a fairer system. Advocated for by Adam Smith the founder of modern economics and Milton Friedman adviser to Margaret Thatcher

Westminster doesn’t have a massive population but does have poverty.

trustforlondon.org.uk/data/boroughs/westminster-poverty-and-inequality-indicators/

You can’t do that because someone could just put in a planning application for your house. You don’t actually have to live there to ask for planning permission.

That would be a good way to bully someone into selling

The big message this sends, is don’t be successful! Dont bother to run a successful business or employ people. Dont make a profit or be successful at work. Dont aspire to anything better. It’s typical Labour who don’t understand economics and it’s the politics of envy - again. Burnham should concentrate on our economic growth, not taxation and punishing people.

Huge nail on the head. You can't tax nor borrow out of the huge national debt we're suffering. We need economic growth, we need businesses to start up, need businesses to grow, need more people to work and more workers working more hours. We need to stop all the tax and benefit cliff edges and stupidly high marginal tax rates so that "work pays". Unfortunately I doubt Burnham is the man who'll do it and sadly expect more sixth form standard politics of envy, more benefits, etc.

It’s based on a very outdated view that everyone in the South is rich and the North is poor. People in expensive areas are already struggling with high prices of housing plus the fact that everything is more expensive. In my DH’s company those based up North in the exact same role are doing very well, have big houses, cars and expensive weekend hobbies. Down South in the same job we are barely managing. Plus the social care costs down South are much higher due to care home fees being so much more and a larger ageing demographic. But all the money from the South is going to be funnelled up North?

I live somewhere where council tax is really high. We don't live in a mansion, not at all, and we pay £4.5k a year. A small garden as well.

Someone two roads down lives in a small two bed semi and pays £3.5k.

Shocked to hear that it's only £1k per annum for hand D in some places!

I think the problem is that some councils have got themselves into a financial pickle and others are much better run. So why should the well run subsidise the badly run?

I do think care/SN costs should come from central government though. They have pushed too much down onto councils to get it off their balance sheet

Yes, but it's not always about how well/badly they're run. Run down areas with lots of social problems, high unemployment, poor health, etc., are always going to cost a lot more, but with much lower revenues from council tax and business rates due to empty shops/businesses/factories etc and a higher than average proportion of residents claiming reductions in council tax due to being on benefits etc. I think we need a completely new funding formula, remove social care etc from local councils and make it centrally funded. But even policing and fire services cost more "per person" in run down areas with social problems as statistics prove there is more crime/anti social behaviour etc.

Some ground rents are at a peppercorn rent, you can't expect the freeholder to pay a land tax.

Agree. They need to be better at charging costs out to eg football clubs for policing a larger perimeter

@Badbadbunny There have been reports looking at this and the ideas generated always come back to insurance! There’s NO money to centrally fund it! Those on benefits with no property get funding anyway. swapping who pays makes no odds and many LAs have central funding anyway! So it’s not going to make any difference. I still favour insurance and unlike NI, it would be ring fenced.

If landlords pay the LVT, then would they pass that on to their tenants in the form of increased rent?
What happens if their tenant was on Council Tax Support?
What happens to people who claim CTS but own their home?
Will there be LVT support for people that were on CTS?

Land value tax seems too much like an envy tax to me. So people who use the services can pay nothing, yet you own a tiny piece of land and you pay pay pay. If they bring this in I dont know what my Mother will do (lives on state pension only in small 2 bed house)

Absolutely right. It seemed like all the suggestions were designed to take from those who have a little.