UK GOVERNMENT "WARPED PRIORITIES" OVER TAX CHANGES

UK GOVERNMENT "WARPED PRIORITIES" OVER TAX CHANGES

Angus MP, Mike Weir, has accused the UK government of having "warped priorities" amid reports that they are planning to relax tax rules on buy to let landlords, whilst at the same time changing Furnished Holiday Lets rules, damaging vital local tourist businesses.

Mr Weir, who has led the campaign against proposals to change FHL rules and condemned the latest reports, said:

"This government surely has warped priorities if it is prepared to give greater tax relief to buy to let landlords whilst at the same time introducing changes that will seriously damage many small tourist businesses.

"Buy to let seriously inflated the housing market and priced many young first time buyers out altogether. To introduce new tax concessions is just plain madness.

"Worse still, the spurious justification for the abandonment of Furnished Holiday Letting relief was to prevent anyone owning a home abroad from benefiting. The change will, however, seriously damage an important industry and, perversely, could lead to an increase in second homes. No doubt they can be snapped up by the buy to let landlords using their new tax advantages.

"The UK government must listen to the industry and tourist organisations who have pleaded with them to see sense over FHL. A revenue neutral proposal of increasing the number of weeks that a property must be made available has been put to them. It is high time they showed some commitment to this vital industry and accepted this compromise."