Garden Tax on the cards?

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TUS373

Original Poster:

4,574 posts

283 months

Thursday 16th May
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Going back to the beginning though - Wales appears to be used a test bed for introducing things, and this is already happening. A cursory search does indeed lead to some stories in Telegraph and Daily Wail:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/05/11/we...

Right leaning journals of course, but hey, someone lit the touch paper - and these days, I trust no one. If you shake hands with a politician, check you still have your watch.

It may be bull, there may be something in it. Death and taxes, hey!

hidetheelephants

25,020 posts

195 months

Thursday 16th May
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What a load of bilge; Spying! Because of information we've just made up this would be likely to result in tax increases for millions of households! Mikey "Pob" Gove said so! ZOMG!

Even by Torygraph standards this is particularly cretinous;
hysterical nonsense said:
They are also looking at Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), meaning the more energy efficient homes – for example, those with double glazing – could potentially be charged higher taxes.
The concept of revising 35 year old and very out of date tax banding using a load of data the govt already have, something many PHers have moaned about because they're paying more council tax than their neighbour who has a McMansion with a swimming pool, is so obviously communism and must be denounced. There's nothing intrinsic in a revaluation that will cause bills to rise; that politicians will take the opportunity to increase the net tax receipts is quite likely but that's a different kettle of fish.

Randy Winkman

16,389 posts

191 months

Thursday 16th May
quotequote all
hidetheelephants said:
What a load of bilge; Spying! Because of information we've just made up this would be likely to result in tax increases for millions of households! Mikey "Pob" Gove said so! ZOMG!

Even by Torygraph standards this is particularly cretinous;
hysterical nonsense said:
They are also looking at Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), meaning the more energy efficient homes – for example, those with double glazing – could potentially be charged higher taxes.
The concept of revising 35 year old and very out of date tax banding using a load of data the govt already have, something many PHers have moaned about because they're paying more council tax than their neighbour who has a McMansion with a swimming pool, is so obviously communism and must be denounced. There's nothing intrinsic in a revaluation that will cause bills to rise; that politicians will take the opportunity to increase the net tax receipts is quite likely but that's a different kettle of fish.
Exactly. Surely it's reasonable to make adjustments to the system after all this time? But I do also agree that politicians will take advantage and try to get more money out of the whole thing. In my world they would do it and show us the numbers before the new system takes effect.

NRS

22,260 posts

203 months

Thursday 16th May
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Hants PHer said:
98elise said:
How much should wealth be taxed? If its taxed when you earn it, and taxed when you crystalise capital gains, why would it need to be taxed again when you save some of it?

If someone builds a business from scratch how much of the notional value should be taxed just for existing?

I have a lot of my "wealth" in ISA's and Pensions. What extra tax should that attract?
Some good points, I think, and they highlight the difficulty of taxing an uncrystallised gain. A friend of mine runs his own business; I wonder how that would be valued for wealth tax purposes and whether such a valuation would be needed annually. Or are businesses the 'wrong kind' of wealth?

You mention pension funds; how would you value a defined benefit (old style public sector) scheme? Then there's the issue of wealth decreases - would people get a refund from HMRC if their house/pension fund/business/classic car decreased in value?

And who, I wonder, would determine this wealth? Would some government bod come and snoop round my house: "Ah, Mr. Hants, I see you have bifold doors fitted at the rear, and a brand new kitchen too. Hmm, well that'll up the numbers, won't it? You can always appeal to the Valuation Tribunal you know." Yeah, along with a million others, no doubt.

Of course, my feckless neighbour (they're not, but just for argument's sake) hasn't repaid their mortgage, unlike me. So they'll pay less tax than I do, because I've worked hard and paid off my debt and they've spent their money on.....stuff. They don't even have bifold doors!

We tax income as it's earned, we tax expenditure as it happens (VAT, stamp duty etc.) and we tax asset wealth via IHT and/or CGT when it's crystallised. We can adjust all or any of those things meaning that an unworkable wealth tax is not needed.
It’s not an easy solution, but we’ve had a few decades where wages have stagnated and only matched inflation at best. That’s not a good thing, and with more taxes on wages it’s turning people off working - literally some on this thread have done that. We have a tax environment that doesn’t encourage working and growth, it is better to put money into land/objects that already exist as you’ll make better returns than working. That’s not a healthy place to be either. The point was to try and rebalance the tax burden so it makes it better to work and create growth instead of the opposite.

James6112

4,516 posts

30 months

Thursday 16th May
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TUS373 said:
James6112 said:
TUS373 said:
Excuse me for putting this in the Lounge, but more people will see it if kept here rather than in the politics area.

I was not aware of this, but just told by my mother-in-law (who has far more time than me to listen to the news) that Labour are considering changing the way council tax is managed, by including a factor about how big a house's garden is. I think this must be a seed (excuse the pun) from the Corbyn days, but I gather that is already being used in Wales. It is said that councils will survey properties by drone, so if you have a sizeable garden (and I don't know what that means in real terms) you pay more tax.

There will be people way more aware than I about this on here, and no doubt those who may say "well, those that live in posh houses should pay more", but is this really likely to be a thing in the future, after a general election?
Where did your Mother in law get this from, source?
I don't know. She is my mother in law. I therefore don't listen; only hear!

I suspect the BBC radio.
Sounds like being groomed on Facebook /Daily Wail/GBeebies
Suggest she looks at more reliable sources!

TUS373

Original Poster:

4,574 posts

283 months

Friday 17th May
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'Grooming' is an in appropriate term. That's for some Rochdale taxi drivers. My MIL is all there, very clued up, but does not do any social media or anything on the internet. The story has come through regular news channels. Nothing wrong in my mind discussing what political parties may or may not do.

Chrisgr31

13,512 posts

257 months

Friday 17th May
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Castrol for a knave said:
It's a load of bolocx

I speak to the VO all the time and there is no plan to tax gardens

As Surveyor said, they are flat out and struggling to recruit enough staff to maintain the existing List.
Agreed there are no plans to tax gardens, there are however plans for a council tax revaluation in Wales. Its been delayed until 2028 though. The revaluation is being done by the VO, and they are using an AVM to assist.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c72p27k3klyo confirms the revaluation,

Caddyshack

11,003 posts

208 months

Friday 17th May
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I suspect it’s a labour spin to get more people voting on the "grrr hate the rich people" and then it slips in to the forgotten once they get in.