Councillor David Wilson speaks out against second home tax plans

Councillor David Wilson’s comments come after Humza Yousaf announced the policy proposal at the STUC Congress at Caird Hall in Dundee on Monday.

The proposed changes would enable councils to charge up to double the full rate of council tax on second homes from April 2024.

This would bring second homes in line with long-term empty homes – with the plans also seeking to charge more than double the rate in future years.

The proposal is part of a new Scottish Government and Cosla consultation to help increase available housing.

Speaking before the announcement, Mr Yousaf said: “We 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.

“By 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.

Cllr Wilson is against the plans (Image: Newsquest)

“I 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.

“All responses will be carefully considered before legislation is introduced to the Scottish Parliament.”

But Cllr Wilson - who represents Inverclyde East - said he is ‘dead against’ the plans, and that ‘tax disincentives’ are not needed.

He told the Tele: “We’re taxed in Scotland more than they are down south now – we’re the most heavily taxed part of the United Kingdom.

“This, again, seems to be the policy of Humza Yousaf – to tax us to obscurity.

“We need to not necessarily be against second homes, but understand that it’s something that happens.

“We should not be taxing more than the rest of the UK.”

As well as the tax increases for second homes, the consultation will ask respondents for their views on whetehr there should be changes to the definition of when a property offering self-catered accommodation becomes liable for non-domestic rates.

This is currently defined as those which are let for a total of 70 nights and are available for let for 140 nights in a financial year.