Letter: Taxing problems

In his article on local income tax (Perspective, 11 April), Brian Monteith reckons the actual figure would be in the region of 4.6p to 5p in the pound, rather than the 3p suggested by the SNP. So be it.

My quibble is with the way council tax is collected, not with its local income tax equivalent. A significant percentage of the earning population does not contribute to the council tax yet uses all the services.

We know the headline requirement is 2.2 billion, and it should not be rocket science to divide this up in a much fairer manner.

I am at a loss to understand why "national" services are paid for through an income-based tax system but local services are not.

As far as the prospect of the income tax take varying with reducing employment, can I remind Mr Monteith that council tax payers lose their jobs too. Who makes up that shortfall?

He then cites the example of a Scottish household living in a band D property having to pay 558 per year more than they do at the moment from an income of more than 49,000 (two average earners in the same household).

The majority of Scottish households will not have that sort of income, and those that do will tend to have more than two earners - which brings me back to my comment on non-contributors.

K R Murdoch

Marchbank Gardens

Balerno, Midlothian