Income tax rate plans being announced by Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is to unveil its proposals for the first income tax rates set by the Scottish Parliament since devolution.
The Scottish Government is to unveil its proposals for the first income tax rates set by the Scottish Parliament since devolution.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Deputy First Minister John Swinney will reveal how they would use the tax powers handed to Holyrood in the Scotland Bill if the SNP wins the Scottish election at Glasgow's Royal Hospital for Children.
The Conservatives said they would keep income tax at UK levels, insisting Scotland should not be paying higher tax than the rest of the UK'', while the Liberal Democrats would raise income tax by 1p to invest in education.
Scottish Conservative finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said: We have been waiting a long time for the SNP to flesh out what they will do with income tax.
Voters have been kept in the dark and the nationalists need to outline whether or not they think it is fair for Scots to be hit harder in the pocket or not.
Our position has always been clear, Scottish people should not be paying higher tax than the rest of the UK.
To do this would cause real damage to the Scottish economy and make less money to support schools, hospitals and infrastructure.''
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: John Swinney claims the SNP will use the new powers coming to Holyrood 'to the fullest'. Instead he, his party and the First Minister have been frozen to the spot.
Nicola Sturgeon's priority should be joining Scottish Liberal Democrats to invest for a transformational change in education. She should embrace our plans to take more low-income people out of tax too.
The SNP have a dismal record on actually using the powers they've spent their lives calling for.
They had the chance to make a transformational investment on Scottish education. Instead they sat in their seats, laughing and clapping, while John Swinney made £500 million worth of cuts to councils. Half of what councils do is education.
The electorate deserves to know if they are voting for inaction or investment. The SNP cannot keep refusing to use new tax powers coming to Scotland. They've got the powers they've always called for and now they need to use them.''