Committee calls for independent Scottish tax raising powers
The Scotland bill should include measures to allow Holyrood to choose its own income tax bands, a Scottish Parliament committee on the bill has said
SCOTLAND SHOULD HAVE the power to raise its own income tax and introduce new taxes, a Holyrood committee on the Scotland bill has recommended.
If passed, the bill, which will be debated in the Commons on Tuesday as part of its report stage, will give Scotland the power to raise income tax by a uniform percentage about the UK tax bands.
However, the 239-page report recommends that “consideration should be given to the Scottish Parliament having the power to vary the higher rates of income tax independently in the future”.
The committee also said that HM Revenue & Customs should be accountable to both Westminster and the Scottish Parliament, including it costs.
Committee convenor Wendy Alexander MSP, said: “Our report recommends a series of amendments that would give the Scottish Parliament new powers to raise up to £5bn for major infrastructure projects by borrowing or issuing bonds – double the amount proposed by the UK Government.”
She said there recommendations were “Calman plus”, referring to the Calman report that paved the way for the Scotland bill.