Like your job, do you?

[jshell]

I've got bad, bad feelings for the Scottish economy if this goes ahead: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-30223348

[Hollowpockets]

High earners will get bent right over with this.

On the news last night there was chat of making Scotland's 'land' benefit the many and not the few, what on earth is that supposed to mean?

[jshell]

Hollowpockets said:

High earners will get bent right over with this.

I think the medium-earners are about to get a milling too!

[s2kjock]

I should like mine. I'm an accountant.

Tax departments of accountancy firms will be rubbing their hands at the thought of all this complexity.

Guess which department I don't work in

[drangular]

Hollowpockets said:

High earners will get bent right over with this.

On the news last night there was chat of making Scotland's 'land' benefit the many and not the few, what on earth is that supposed to mean?

432 people own over half the private land in Scotland. Quite a lot of it is used for business purposes such a 'Sporting Estates' but the owners don't pay business rates on that land. Much of the land is held and exchanged for tax benefit reasons not for the wider benefit of the people of Scotland. Reform is long overdue.
More here.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-pol...
And here from 1996.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/who...

Edited by drangular on Thursday 27th November 16:32

[Jon666]

drangular said:

432 people own over half the private land in Scotland. Quite a lot of it is used for business purposes such a 'Sporting Estates' but the owners don't pay business rates on that land. Much of the land is held and exchanged for tax benefit reasons not for the wider benefit of the people of Scotland. Reform is long overdue.
More here.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-pol...
And here from 1996.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/who...

Edited by drangular on Thursday 27th November 16:32

This isn't Mugabe's Zimbabwe - it's a 21st century capitalist democracy.

The SNP's politics of envy will destroy Scotland.

[McWigglebum4th]

Has any country ever had an income tax of over 100%?

[markiii]

doubt it, could be called income tax then, could it?

[McWigglebum4th]

oh that is good news

it will just be 99% then

[Dryce]

drangular said:

432 people own over half the private land in Scotland. Quite a lot of it is used for business purposes such a 'Sporting Estates' but the owners don't pay business rates on that land. Much of the land is held and exchanged for tax benefit reasons not for the wider benefit of the people of Scotland. Reform is long overdue.

So what? You don't tend to see people queuing up to buy these estates because they are largely desolate and the land is of low exploitable value. That means the few who are interested can buy lots of land for not very much.

But hey it's a great story if you want to get people riled about some 'wrong'.

Add some taxes into the equation and the value of the land may drop further - and fewer people will be interested because of the increased costs of onwership. So you might find you'll have even fewer people owning larger estates. Law of unintended consequences. In ten years somebody might be moaning less than 200 people own half Scotland's land and demand even more taxation.

[Hollowpockets]

Dryce said:

So what? You don't tend to see people queuing up to buy these estates because they are largely desolate and the land is of low exploitable value. That means the few who are interested can buy lots of land for not very much.

But hey it's a great story if you want to get people riled about some 'wrong'.

Add some taxes into the equation and the value of the land may drop further - and fewer people will be interested because of the increased costs of onwership. So you might find you'll have even fewer people owning larger estates. Law of unintended consequences. In ten years somebody might be moaning less than 200 people own half Scotland's land and demand even more taxation.

[PaulD86]

drangular said:

432 people own over half the private land in Scotland. Quite a lot of it is used for business purposes such a 'Sporting Estates' but the owners don't pay business rates on that land. Much of the land is held and exchanged for tax benefit reasons not for the wider benefit of the people of Scotland.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/who...

+ 1 on Jon666 and Dryce's remarks.

I'm intrigued by how none of this land has benefited the wider people of Scotland? Under the rights to responsible access I can walk, bike and ride my imaginary horse on most of Scotland's land, regardless of ownership. I can enjoy thousands of miles of paths, tracks and woods etc that are maintained by estates at no cost to myself. I would certainly see that as a benefit. Why do I give a monkeys who owns half the private land in Scotland? I can benefit from about 98% of it if I so desire.

[McWigglebum4th]

PaulD86 said:

drangular said:

432 people own over half the private land in Scotland. Quite a lot of it is used for business purposes such a 'Sporting Estates' but the owners don't pay business rates on that land. Much of the land is held and exchanged for tax benefit reasons not for the wider benefit of the people of Scotland.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/who...

+ 1 on Jon666 and Dryce's remarks.

I'm intrigued by how none of this land has benefited the wider people of Scotland? Under the rights to responsible access I can walk, bike and ride my imaginary horse on most of Scotland's land, regardless of ownership. I can enjoy thousands of miles of paths, tracks and woods etc that are maintained by estates at no cost to myself. I would certainly see that as a benefit. Why do I give a monkeys who owns half the private land in Scotland? I can benefit from about 98% of it if I so desire.

I dearly hope they go down the route of Zimbabwe where the land is given to national party supporters


The mental image of some YES screaming council house dwelling ned from glasgow being dumped in the middle of the highlands with 4 acres of land and a sheep and told to get on with it tickles me pink

[PaulD86]

McWigglebum4th said:

I dearly hope they go down the route of Zimbabwe where the land is given to national party supporters


The mental image of some YES screaming council house dwelling ned from glasgow being dumped in the middle of the highlands with 4 acres of land and a sheep and told to get on with it tickles me pink

Actually made me laugh!