Scottish Government launches consultation on council tax reform proposals
The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on reforming Scotland’s council tax system to make it fairer and more reflective of current property values and household circumstances. Supported by independent analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the consultation explores illustrative models including property revaluation, revised tax bands, and transitional protections to assist households in managing changes. It follows longstanding debate and earlier work by the Commission on Local Tax Reform, which advocated for a more progressive and regularly updated system. The current framework, based on 1991 property valuations, is widely considered outdated and regressive, with lower-value homes often bearing a higher relative tax burden. Raising over £3bn annually for local services, the consultation aims to ensure the system remains equitable, transparent, and sustainable, while maintaining overall revenue neutrality by redistributing the tax burden more fairly across households. The consultation closes on 30 January 2026.