Cancel income tax / VAT and other taxes and give people money- too good to be true?

[baldelectrician]

Saw this post from Business For Scotland (a pro indy business website) and I thought it was bonkers at first look.

Is it time for Annual Ground Floor and Roof Rent?

Since 2015 I’ve been developing a model of Annual Ground Rent called AGFRR (Annual Ground, Floor, Roof Rent). It’s simple and has the potential to replace all existing UK, Scottish and local taxation, provide a Universal Citizens’ Income of around £200 per week and give all of the people of...

www.businessforscotland.com

Once I read through it I noticed that someone on £26,500 a year would be £17k better off than they are now

One of the actual tax powers the Scottish Parliament have is land tax (rates etc), the idea is to replace it with what is effectively a land value tax

Full info at

Annual Ground Rent - a fairer way for an independant Scotland - https://annualgroundrent.scot/


This is a different outlook on things- is it nuts.

The point of it is that over 70% of land in Scotland is owned by off shore corporations / rich land owners who may not pay their fair share.

 

[Zerax]

...who may not pay their fair share.

There's no such thing as "fair"... I wish all politicians would stop using that word. What's "fair" or not is subjective, a matter of opinion.

 

[Baddegg]

So social housing tenants and people in private rentals and people of a traveling community would pay zero taxes into the system? And let’s face it any taxes put on the land the landlord is going to pass it on to the tenants so the poor sods at the bottom get hammered?

 

[snowhead]

Yep, definitely Bonkers.
So no VAT and presumably no duty on fuel and Booze and smokes.

Nice idea but unworkable, too many flaws and loopholes.

There's going to be massive queues at the shops / pumps when all of England , Wales , Ireland (North and South) and half of Europe turn up to buy VAT free goods.

Ah, I hear you say, tax free is only for Scottish residents, so that'll mean all Scottish residents will have to carry an I.D card to get tax free goods and there'll be the extra costs of operating a 2 tier system.
What if they move out of Scotland and keep thier card.
What's to stop eligible tax free Scottish residents buying twice the amount of goods they want and sticking the rest on ebay
What about non Scottish Nationals living in Scotland or tourists.