Second homeowners in Scotland face being charged more than double the full rate of council tax under plans to be announced by Humza Yousaf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The proposal is part of a new Scottish Government and Cosla consultation to help increase available housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The First Minister will announce the plans at the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The proposed changes would enable councils to charge up to double the full rate of council tax on second homes from April 2024, bringing them in line with long-term empty homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The consultation will also contain plans to charge more than double the rate on both empty and second homes in future years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Latest figures show that in January 2023 there were 42,865 long-term empty homes in Scotland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The consultation will also ask for views on whether there should be changes to the definition of when a property offering self-catered accommodation becomes liable for non-domestic rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Currently, this happens if it is let for a total of 70 nights and is available to let for 140 nights in a financial year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The First Minister said: \u201cWe want everyone in Scotland to have an affordable home that meets their needs and this work to improve the availability of sustainable long-term housing opportunities is a core part of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy recognising the important role councils have in considering local needs, these proposals aim to strike a balance between good housing supply and helping communities to thrive and benefit from tourism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI encourage anyone who is interested to respond to the consultation as we try to prioritise homes for living in, seeking a fair contribution to local services from everyone and recognising the benefits to local economies from self-catering accommodation and second homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll responses will be carefully considered before legislation is introduced to the Scottish Parliament.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cosla resources spokesperson councillor Katie Hagmann said Scottish local government is \u201ccommitted to supporting access for everyone in Scotland to an affordable home\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said: \u201cThat is why we are pleased to be launching this joint consultation, as we work to meet the shared aim of creating the right balance to increase the availability of housing and a taxation system that is fair for the tourism industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe also welcome the greater fiscal empowerment for councils to reflect local circumstances this would introduce.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scottish Labour housing spokesperson Mark Griffin said the proposals are a \u201cpale imitation\u201d of his party\u2019s plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said: \u201cUnder the SNP, Scotland has developed a housing crisis that has priced thousands out of the market and left many more in precarious residential situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTinkering around the edges won\u2019t do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHumza Yousaf must learn from Labour and implement a proper council tax accelerator on empty homes to fund a \u00a31 home policy.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Second homeowners in Scotland face being charged more than double the full rate of council tax under plans to be announced by Humza Yousaf. The proposal is part of a new Scottish Government and Cosla consultation to help increase available housing. The First Minister will announce the plans at the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC)…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-scottish-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n