The Leader gives Waverley’s reasons for consulting Band H council taxpayers on digging deeper.
Council Leader Cllr Paul Follows speaking at the Full Council meeting this week.
Waverley to consult top taxpayers on voluntary contributions.
"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when once we practise to deceive.
Council Leader Cllr Paul Follows speaking at the Full Council meeting this week.
Waverley to consult top taxpayers on voluntary contributions.
I believe Westminster raise 300k a year from 20k band H taxpayers, so an average of £15 per band H household. If Waverley replicates this then they will raise 30k from their 2k band H taxpayers, which is less than half of what Follows says will be a failure. It’s worth a go I suppose though i’d question the cost of the consultation and the administration costs compared to the likely receipts given the considerably smaller scale in Waverley compared to Westminster.
I’m a band H taxpayer (though our property is worth considerably less than 20m). Like a lot of people I already donate to various charities and contribute my time to those I am passionate about. My main issue with the idea is that it’s a deeply tax-inefficient way of contributing to the local community. If I make a donation to a local charity it is eligible for tax relief, which benefits the charity. If i offer a voluntary contribution to the council it presumably is not eligible for tax relief, so I would be contributing less money in real terms. Or has this been resolved somehow in the proposed policy?
It kind of reminds me of the question at the end of the self-assessment tax returns which enables you to volunteer to pay more tax. I doubt many of us tick yes.
The Council intends to register this endeavour as a charity, so will be tax efficient.
Like you suggest, I fear most of the pittance received will quickly be swallowed up in officer time and admin costs.
Let’s hope they don’t employ consultants (god forbid)
Excuses are often made that the speed of getting some things done, but they seem to have spare officer time for vanity projects
Oh ye of such little faith. When are residents going to give this outfit a bit of slack!What a thankless task these public servants (Cllrs) who don’t get enough money to cover their costs in most cases and they don’t get any thanks abnd often not even grudging respect.
If it’s a separate charitable fund then I suppose my question is why are they just targeting band H taxpayers and why are they even linking it in any way to council tax (which most people don’t really like paying).
Surely launching a charitable fundraiser with clear initiatives that you are supporting and targeting a broader funding base would be wiser. A specific approach could be made to band H taxpayers but if the average donation does end up being around £15 a household (as it is in Westminster) then isn’t it possible that those in other bands may donate as well?
I don’t have anything against the policy as long as it raises more than it costs.
Very sensible suggestions that WW hopes residents will pass on to Waverley. Wome of our team live in muilti-million pound homes in Waverley Band F – would you believe. there have been many thousands of extensions built onto modest homes in the borough. WW believes
Why not ask also developers to pay the full economic cost of their planning applications or request the government to end this developer subsidy. Developers can also ask for a free screening opinion to exempt them from providing an Environmental Impact Assessment knowing that it is likely to be successful due to the absence of screening resources and insufficient competence.
The new planning reforms will include LPAs being able to run at break-even, by increasing their planning fees and charges appropriately
In the meantime, I wonder how many of these 2,000 or so band H taxpayers are the Conservative voters that Mr Follows seems to despise so much.
If you had listened to the council debate and heard the Conservatives rubbishing the efforts Paul Follows and his colleagues are championing to make our borough a better place – then is it any wonder the tories are disliked. However, the tory group voted unanimously for the consultation so if it succeeds they can say they supported the idea, and if it fails! God help Follows & Co because the daggers in his back will go ever deeper.
You reap what you sow and let’s face it, he has so far failed to make our borough a better place despite having had ample time to do so. Putting rosettes aside, I see no discernible difference from the previous administration in fact, things have got worse.
Here at the WW we sometimes wonder why anyone would even consider throwing their hat into a cesspit election ring! You get damn all thanks for the efforts you make, and cannot even be sure of a little grudging respect for everything you do.
Well, they do say we get the politicians we deserve and you’re not above criticising them yourself.
Fair comment Nemo. Perhps we should all cut them a bit of slack – WW included.
I understand the Council intends to register a Charity to manage receive and distribute the donations. So there will be tax efficient scheme you mention.
I live in a property worth one million, but I’m still registered as Band F because since I sill living here since Council Tax was introduced in 1993 (based on 1991 property values)
My extension doubled the size of the dwelling 20 years ago, but the house does not get re-evaluated (into a higher council tax band) until it is sold.
Considering the majority of planning applications in Waverley are householder extensions, how many thousands of other properties are still to be re-assessed into their correct Council Tax band?
By all means introduce Bands I, J and K, but a proper revaluation of properties is long overdue and would raise the necessary millions need for local services
Tens of thousands of properties across the country are under-rated. The situation is ridiculous and as you so rightly say a proper revaluation of properties is long overdue. We know of properties that have quadrupled in size and now worth many millions but are still on Band F and even lower.
Excuse spelling errors – written in haste!
No worries – we are always glad to hear your comments.