Tax
Stamp duty is a bad tax – but scrapping it will do nothing for first-time buyers
Not a day seems to pass in this Conservative leadership contest without promises of tax cuts. Today the Times brings…
Could copying Japan’s hometown tax fix Britain’s geographical inequality?
The regional divides across the British economy are now a major problem, and how policy can improve economic growth in…
Council tax is the new poll tax. It’s time for reform
Rummage around in the “too difficult to touch box” of policy issues and somewhere near the bottom you’ll find a…
It’s not just Amazon killing the high street: it’s business rates, too
BHS, Carpetright, Homebase, House of Fraser, HMV, Maplin, Marks & Spencer, Mothercare, New Look, Toys R Us, Woolworths: a decade…
How can cities find money to help the homeless?
Seattle’s city council has voted unanimously to levy a tax on big businesses, equivalent to $275 for each full-time worker,…
Three reforms needed to tackle the crisis in local government finance
New research published in the Times on 8 February highlighted the scale of the funding crisis facing many councils across the…
Dublin’s new tram highlights the untapped bonanza of land values
Few, apart from the odd urban motorist, whose well of sympathy has surely run dry, would argue that Dublin’s new…
Will setting tax rates locally help to drive economic growth?
In its ongoing discussions about business rates devolution, the government is exploring the possibility of allowing local authorities to set…
Here’s why Philip Hammond should abolish stamp duty
When it comes to causes of the housing crisis, stamp duty land tax is far from the most important. And…
What do new business rates pilots tell us about government’s appetite for devolution?
There have been big question marks about any future devolution of business rates ever since the last general election stopped…