Fabiani Welcomes Fair Tax Proposals

Over 57,000 South Lanarkshire pensioners will pay no local income tax said local MSP and newly appointed Minister for Europe, Linda Fabiani.

Commenting after the debate in the Scottish Parliament on making Scotland Wealthier and Fairer the MSP for Central Scotland Region welcomed the SNP’s commitment to reform local taxation and tackle the iniquities of the Council Tax.

Ms Fabiani said that under SNP Proposals for a fair Local Income tax over 30,000 pensioners in South Lanarkshire will pay no local income tax and that an analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies has already shown that 90% of people will be better off under the proposals.

The SNP pledged that Council Tax abolition would be centre stage with a clear commitment to a £450 million tax cut – the biggest tax cut in a generation – directed to benefit pensioners and middle Scotland with taxpayers on low and middle incomes benefiting on average by between £260 and £350 a year.

Commenting on the SNP’s plans to improve the lives of Scottish families and pensioners Ms Fabiani said:

“The SNP are working hard to help families and pensioners in Scotland and South Lanarkshire.

“An SNP Government is committed to helping families and older people in South Lanarkshire live life to the full, to enjoy in their daily lives the independence and freedom of choice that is cherished by all of us.

“Council tax has gone up by 62% since 1997 and hit pensioners and working families hard. In South Lanarkshire it is little better at 52%.

“Even with the 25% discount pensioners will spend, on average, 19% of their basic state pension on council tax. In South Lanarkshire, it is again little better at 18%.

“Under SNP proposals 30,000 pensioners in South Lanarkshire who pay no income tax will have council tax abolished and pay no local income tax.

“Indeed, with a local income tax at least 90% of 56,000 state pensioners in South Lanarkshire will pay nothing or less than now.

“The SNP want to put money back in the pockets of Scottish families by introducing the biggest tax cut in a generation by abolishing the unfair council tax and replacing it with a fair system of local income tax.

“For example in South Lanarkshire this will mean that pensioner households with incomes of less than £10,000 will pay nothing at all through to a pensioner household with a joint income of up £30,000 saving as much as £600. A low income family will save over £600 through to middle earners saving as much as £400.

“The SNP’s proposals are fair, detailed and popular. 88 percent of Scots now back a fair local income tax, and that’s what an SNP government will implement with the support of the people of Scotland on Thursday.

“I believe that it’s time to scrap the unfair Council Tax. More and more Scots know it’s time for fair local tax with the SNP.”