THE 100 per cent tax break which Scotland gives the King should he buy property in the country must end, the Greens have said.
MSP Ross Greer has tabled an amendment to the Scottish Government’s Housing Bill that would see the monarch taxed like anyone else.
As it stands, the King is given a complete tax break on property purchased in Scotland, whereas members of the public must pay Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) on properties over £145,000.
For homes between £145,001 and £250,000, a 2% rate is paid, which goes up to 5% for properties between £250,001 to £325,000, and 10% for sales worth £325,001 to £750,000.
The Greens have tabled a separate amendment to the Housing Bill which would create a new band of 15% for sales over £1 million.
Greer said that the tax breaks enjoyed by the monarchy – which also avoids paying corporation tax, capital gains tax, and inheritance tax – must end, and making the King pay LBTT would be a “modest but important” start.
"The Scottish Greens would obviously scrap the monarchy in a heartbeat, but even royalists must agree that this is an absurd and undeserved perk for someone more than capable of paying his fair share towards our public services.”
He went on: “The Crown is an expensive relic, and an insult to democracy. One family should not be allowed to exempt itself from whichever laws it doesn’t want to follow.
“The Scottish Parliament may not have the power to end every tax perk enjoyed by the Windsors, but we can end this one and set an example for the UK Government to follow.
“My proposals are a modest but important step towards a fairer Scotland. If Parliament agrees, it would be a powerful statement against entrenched power and privilege.
"It’s long past time that we challenged rather than pandered to elites who want one rule for themselves and another for the rest of us.”
