Local authorities should be given the power to set council tax rates as part of a major shake-up to make local taxation fairer and more sustainable, a leading think-tank has said.
Scotland has become the first part of the UK to introduce a formal tourist tax as councils were given the power to levy a charge on overnight visitors.
Taxpayers have been let down by poor customer service at HMRC that has seen average call waiting times jump to 23 minutes, the National Audit Office has said.
Scotland saw higher net migration from elsewhere in the UK after adopting a more progressive income tax system – but it could have been higher still without that divergence, according to the latest...
The UK will be forced to raise taxes if its public spending levels continue to match those of other developed nations, according to the latest international analysis.
HMRC closing a phone helpline for six months per year has drawn criticism from tax experts, including that self assessment returns might become less accurate.
The government should avoid “prioritising politically driven tax cuts while decimating services” during Wednesday’s Budget, public sector unions have said.
Cutting taxes ahead of this year’s general election would only meet the government’s fiscal rule if some departments face a “fresh round of austerity”, which is unlikely given the state of public...
Four authorities have been given permission to raise council tax above the referendum limit to meet their spending needs next year, but one request was rejected.
The government does not properly monitor the effectiveness of tax reliefs, meaning billions of pounds of subsidies may not deliver economic growth, the National Audit Office has said.
Pressure on council finances has led to instances of aggressive action to recover council tax arrears, prompting MPs to urge the government to clarify regulations to prevent unnecessary distress.
Increasing taxes would bring the tax burden in line with other advanced economies and support more effective public services, the Institute for Public Policy Research has said.
The government might lose around £15bn a year by 2032 if it decides to ditch inheritance tax, economists at the Institute for Fiscal Studies have warned.
