Letter: Scrap these taxes

Bill Jamieson (Perspective, 13 January) rightly points out that "companies do not pay rates and tax, people do", so John Swinney's retail levy will ultimately be paid for "by customers, suppliers or staff".

He highlights ludicrous anomalies such as exempting Edinburgh airport but not the Gyle retailers. Your leader writer then condemns the idea as an extra tax on success, a disincentive to further expansion and at odds with the government's purported pro-business stance.

Why, then, does neither writer take their argument to its logical conclusion, and advocate either a land-value tax in place of all business rates or - better still - the total abolition of all taxes on business (rates, corporation tax and National Insurance) other than levies for services specifically rendered? Such imposts on bodies with no votes are undemocratic, disguise the true cost of government from voters, encourage government profligacy and require a large army of bureaucrats in both public and private sectors to administer and/or to avoid them.

The savings to businesses should be quantified nationally and a per-capita sum added by law to all wages, pensions and certain benefits in stages over a few years' transition period. All direct taxes would then be paid by Bill Jamieson's "people" - individuals with voting rights and related responsibilities.

JOHN BIRKETT

Horseleys Park

St Andrews, Fife

Don't be fooled when big retailers threaten the "jobs at risk" spectre should we ever dare to tax them.

Whenever a mega-sized store opens, local shops close, local suppliers are passed over and local tradesmen find there's no maintenance work because everything is taken care of in-house. The overall employment impact of large stores is always negative.

Sainsbury's, Tesco et al will always claim impressive job- creation numbers, but this is only one half of the books.

PAUL DIAMOND

Bonnington Road

Peebles