News Date: Thursday 1st October 2009
New house price tax and local income tax are not the answer Tim Loughton MP
Liberal Democrat local tax plans would mean soaring bills
Tim Loughton, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, expressed concern today at the Liberal Democrats announcement at their Party Conference of plans for a new house price tax on top of the existing Liberal Democrat proposals for a new local income tax.
Their new house price tax to be levied at 0.5 per cent on a home's value every year would be slapped on all higher-value homes. But they have admitted that Government's Valuation Office Agency would be instructed to undertake annual inspections of all detached homes acrossAdur and Worthing to assess whether or not they should pay the new tax. Regardless of whether homes are caught by the tax, residents will have a nosy state inspector snooping on their gardens, bathrooms and bedrooms. There are 1007 homes across Adur in council tax bands F,G, and H and 3,130 homes across Worthingwhich would be hit.
All this comes as the Labour Government is gearing up for a wholesale council tax revaluation across all flats and houses in England. They are developing a Big Brother property database to photograph and record people's patios, parking spaces and the scenic views they enjoy. Wales has already had a revaluation which resulted in soaring bills for family homes.
In addition, Liberal Democrats have confirmed their plans for a new local income tax of 3.5 per cent on the basic and higher rates of income tax. This would hammer working families and younger workers in shared houses. A working family inAdur both on average working incomes for Adurwould pay £142a year more under local income tax. A working family inWorthing both on average working incomes for Worthingwould pay £309 a year more under local income tax.
Tim Loughton said:
"Liberal Democrats' plans for a new house price tax mean there is now a clear choice for voters at the next general election. Both Labour and Liberal Democrats have now signed up to intrusive tax revaluations of people's homes to hike up bills. Local residents of all backgrounds face a double whammy of higher income tax and punitive property taxes."Only Conservatives are opposed to these tax-raising plans and have vowed to stop any house tax revaluation and abolish council tax inspectors' rights of entry into Adur and Worthing homes."It's now clearer than ever that if you want to get rid of Gordon Brown and his Big Brother state, and if you care about our schools, our quality of life and our liberties, you need to vote Conservative for a progressive, liberal government."
