Adam WilsonTimothy Douglas, Propertymark’s Head of Policy and Campaigns, comments on a recent discussion of the housing market in the Scottish Parliament.
Sirs,
While we welcome the Scottish Government’s investments to build more houses and get empty homes back into use, as set out in the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice’s statement, they fail to recognise the tax burden people face when buying property.
There needs to be a far greater focus from the Scottish Government on pro-growth policies that allow people to buy a home of their own and support people to invest in buy to let property that in turn will bring down the cost of renting and help tackle the housing emergency.
These include reviewing all costs and taxes impacting private landlords, cutting the devastating 8 per cent surcharge for buy-to-let homes and urgently revising the bands and reducing the rates for Land and Buildings Transaction Tax to help more people get on the housing ladder.
Timothy Douglas
Head of Policy and Campaigns,
Propertymark
Author
