Will the Council Tax freeze be lifted?

From April 2017, the Council Tax freeze will be lifted. Local authorities will be able to increase Council Tax by a maximum of 3 per cent a year, which could generate an additional £70 million. This will ensure we do not return to the sky high annual tax hikes we saw in the past. In the years before the SNP took office, Council Tax had risen by 60 per cent, with many people paying more in Council Tax than they were in rent or mortgage.

Councils will continue to benefit from the £70 million every year the Scottish Government has provided to allow them to freeze Council Tax. This means that any revenue they choose to raise by increasing Council Tax will be genuinely additional.

We will also consult with councils on the assignment of a portion of devolved income tax raised in Scotland, which will reduce reliance on grant funding from Central Government.