If it Moves Tax It | Edinburgh Vistor Levy Commences.
Ronald Reagan in His satirical critique of Big Government said “If it Moves Tax It…”
This is exactly what The City of Edinburgh Council is now doing through its Visitor Levy. Each person must pay £5 per night to stay in the City. The Council says the revenue will be added to (not exclusively) housing, infrastructure and cultural heritage budgets. In other words, the levy will be used to pay for services that are already funded from Council Tax/Non Domestic Rates and Scottish Government’s General Settlement. In addition, it will also subsidise the debts the Council has failed to collect (£4.7m, according to the Evening News). The Levy includes caravanettes, resulting in vehicles being parked up on public roads and car parks without enforcement. Taxation is not the remedy for failed debt recovery and budget deficits. The remedy is in how the Council is run and by whom. Is it not appauling that a City with negative equity pays its Chief Executive a salary of over £200,000?