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| - The SNP plan to increase council tax by £768.12 per year in Aberdeenshire
Energy minister Andrew Bowie claimed on Twitter that the SNP is planning on raising council tax in Aberdeenshire by £768.12 a year. This is missing important context, as Mr Bowie fails to say that this increase has not yet been agreed and, if it is, it would only apply to a small proportion of homes in the area.
The SNP-led Scottish government is currently consulting on plans that could see council tax for Band H properties across Scotland increase by 22.5%.
In Aberdeenshire, this would be an increase of £768.12, though this would only apply to 631 homes (0.5% of all dwellings) not to all properties in the local authority as Mr Bowie’s tweet appears to suggest. The increased rate would come into force over three years.
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Proposed changes to Scottish council tax
Under the plans that are currently under consultation, properties in Bands E-H across Scotland could see an increase in council tax that goes beyond normal annual increases set by local authorities.
This would be achieved by changing how much more properties in Bands E-H are charged, relative to the Band D level set by councils. This level, known as the multiplier, was previously changed by the Scottish government in 2017.
If the new plans are approved, the Scottish government would mimic the increases seen in the 2017 plans. This means there would be a 7.5% increase in council tax for Band E properties, a 12.5% increase for Band F properties, a 17.5% increase for Band G properties and a 22.5% increase for Band H properties. The consultation suggests this would be implemented over three years, with the fully increased value payable from 2026/27.
Properties in Aberdeenshire
In Aberdeenshire, Band H properties—those that were valued over £212,000 in 1991— will be charged £3,413.88 in council tax in 2023/24.
If the proposals are approved this would go up by 22.5% to £4,182 by 2026/27—the increase of £768.12 that Mr Bowie referred to. However, as outlined above, his tweet failed to mention that only a very small proportion of properties in Aberdeenshire would have to pay this increase (0.5% of all dwellings in the council area, according to figures from September 2022). Updated figures show there are currently 631 Band H homes this increase would apply to.
The majority of properties in Aberdeenshire—around 70,000—are in council tax Bands A-D and would not see an increase in council tax under the proposals.
Properties in Bands E-G would see their council tax go up, but by less than £768.12. Around 22,600 Band E properties in Aberdeenshire would pay an additional £137.31 a year compared to current rates; 17,500 properties in Band F an extra £283.04; and 11,400 homes in Band G would be charged £477.54 more.
We’ve contacted Mr Bowie about his claim and will update this article if he responds.
Image courtesy of Chris McAndrew
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