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The burden of council tax
Another week, another piece of TPA research hitting the headlines. After the success of our paper looking at the growing civil service headcount ([link removed]) , our team has exposed the true burden council tax is placing on households ([link removed]) , by comparing council tax rates with local average earnings and house prices..

Shockingly, some authorities are setting their Band D council tax rate at more than 10 per cent of local median incomes, and that’s before other taxes are taken into account. In other places, the burden is only around 2 per cent, meaning that residents in some parts of the country are paying five times as much council tax relative to their salary compared to residents in other areas. Nationally, council tax has more than doubled in relation to median earnings since its introduction.
Those facing the worst burden are residents in West Devon who pay 10.85 per cent of their median gross pay in council tax, compared to just 2.16 per cent in Wandsworth, where the burden is lowest. The North East is the highest paying region at 8.66 per cent, compared to Scotland where it is 5.1 per cent and London where it is 5.42 per cent.

Our findings ([link removed]) caught the attention of news editors across the country and featured prominently in the Daily Mail ([link removed]) , Telegraph ([link removed]) , Sun ([link removed]) , Times ([link removed]) , Independent ([link removed]) , Express ([link removed]) , and Northern Echo ([link removed]) . With
our media phone ringing off the hook, our head of campaigns, Elliot Keck, was soon explaining our findings ([link removed]) to Julia Hartley-Brewer and TalkTV viewers across the country. As Elliot said: “It is one of the most onerous bills that a household and an individual has to pay… In some parts of the country an average earner, paying the average level of council tax in that authority, will be paying more than 10 per cent of their income in council tax!”
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Our media campaign manager, Conor Holohan, hammered the message home ([link removed]) on GB News. Citing the dodgy goings on in some councils such as South Cambridgeshire’s four day week, Conor called on councils to get a grip on spending and freeze council tax to ease the burden on families: “What’s driving these massive burdens is out of control spending or failure to think of residents when budgets are being set.”
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These burdens are not simply unfair to households, they’re unjustified. As our research has already shown ([link removed]) , council tax has increased by 79 per cent in real terms since its introduction. That’s why we’re calling on councils to freeze council tax as a minimum next year to help ease the burden on families. If you’ve not done so already, be sure to sign our petition to put a stop to council tax rises here ([link removed]) . The more of you who speak back our campaign, the better chance we have!

If you want to see more agenda-setting research like this, please consider supporting the TPA by clicking here to donate. ([link removed])
TaxPayers' Alliance in the news
Stealth hikes strike again

The chancellor’s decision to freeze income tax thresholds ([link removed]) continues to hammer Brits with the latest analysis showing 310,000 people will be dragged into the top tax bracket next year.
Speaking to the Telegraph, our chief executive, John O’Connell, slammed the latest findings ([link removed]) : “Frozen income tax thresholds are dragging more and more hardworking Brits into paying tax rates designed for a wealthier few. The Government should give taxpayers a break and increase thresholds in line with inflation.”
Should HMRC staff be working from home?

It emerged this week that more HMRC staff are working from home than during the peak of the pandemic. With 95 per cent of staff absent ([link removed]) from the office at least one day a week, it’s not surprising vital services are being culled ([link removed]) .
Writing in the Times, for their ‘Big Question’ debate, Elliot didn’t mince his words ([link removed]) : “When performance in places like HMRC deteriorates, it can have a big impact… It’s time to get workers back behind their desks and delivering for taxpayers.” Hear, hear!
Empty costs

This week we teamed up with MailOnline to reveal the shocking cost of vacant properties ([link removed]) owned by the supposedly ‘cash-strapped’ NHS. Over the last three years, taxpayers have shelled out £4 million on business rates bill for these empty properties.
Our digital campaign manager, Joe Ventre, told MailOnline ([link removed]) : “Health bosses need to quickly sell these sites if they aren't going to be brought back into use.”
Blog of the week
Global Quangos Uncovered: The IMF

Continuing our Global Quangos Uncovered ([link removed]) campaign, TPA intern Callum McGoldrick this week turns his attention to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ([link removed]) . Exploring its origins and examining its role in the present, the IMF has clearly strayed from its original purpose.
Having been founded to help “ensure economic stability and cooperation between nations”, the fund now finds itself pushing political agendas with little-to-no democratic oversight. Costing UK taxpayers £20 billion a year, Callum points out that: “the organisation uses this money in a multitude of ways, from promoting progressive social programmes to funding failing economies.” Click here to read this deep-dive blog in full. ([link removed])
War on Waste
A TPA investigation ([link removed]) this week revealed that local authorities managed to splash out over £500,000 supporting pride events in June, with the money paying for things like drag story time, flags, t-shirts, and bunting.

With almost all councils having hiked bills this year, this kind of spending is a kick in the teeth for hard pressed taxpayers. It’s time for town halls to get a grip on their out of control spending once and for all!

Send me your examples of wasteful public sector spending (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Wasteful%20spending)

Benjamin Elks
Operations Manager

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