@AlexSalmond reveals new laws to prevent #councils chasing #PollTax #debts after #indyref @Aberdeenshire @theSNP THE First Minister of Scotland announced the surprise move after concerns were raised that councils could use the #electoral roll to chase up decades-old debts. The First Minister said it is about time the hated Tory tax is “dead and buried”. The surprise move follows concern that thousands of people who signed the electoral register to vote in the referendum could be targeted for unpaid bills going back decades. 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 #CouncilTax 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 #ElectoralRegister 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 Scottish Government’s intention to bring forward legislation to ensure councils can take no further action to recover ancient poll tax debts. “After about 25 years, it’s about time that the poll tax was finally dead and buried in Scotland.”
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 17:51:37 +0000
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