Salmond bans pursuit of council tax debt

The addition to the government’s forthcoming legislation programme comes in the wake of concerns that those who signed the electoral register in the period running up to the referendum could be pursued for decades-old unpaid bills amounting to nearly £300 million.

The controversial tax was trialled in Scotland in 1989, a year ahead of its introduction in England and Wales, and was scrapped in 1993. Councils will be receive outstanding amounts commensurate with current rates in lieu of poll tax arrears.

Salmond said: “It is now over 20 years since the poll tax came to an end.
“I believe the expanded electoral roll should not be used to collect poll tax debt.

“It is of course within the law for councils to use current information to enforce current council tax liability, and given the council tax reduction scheme protects 500,000 of our poorest citizens, the tax is being applied in a proper and fair way.

“However, the relevance of information on the current electoral register to the position of debt from 25 years ago is difficult to fathom except through some misguided political intention.

“The total collected last year from poll tax debt around Scotland was £396,000.

“Therefore, I can announce today it’s the government’s intention to bring forward legislation to ensure councils can take no further action to recover ancient poll tax debts.”

READ MORE