John Swinney is being urged to bring in tax cuts worth almost £1 billion in next month's budget.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay has written to the First Minister outlining his party's "common sense" proposals to reduce income tax, business rates and the land and building transaction tax (LBTT).

Mr Findlay's plans include an income tax cut for anyone earning under £43,662 with a 19p rate applying to salaries up to that level scrapping  the 20p and 21p rates.

Such a move would see those earning between £12,571 and £43,663 paying the starter rate of 19p, before tax jumps to 42% above that level and represent a £222 cut to for the average taxpayer, the Tories claimed.

An analysis by the party said the policy will save someone earning £35,000 a year £286, with a maximum saving of up to £459.

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The Conseratives said it would mean that everyone earning less than £45,000 – which includes approximately 85% of Scottish taxpayers – would pay less tax than if they lived in the rest of the UK.

Mr Findlay stated his proposals were "fully costed" with the cost of cutting income coming to around £583m.

He said the cost would be covered if the government used some of the extra £3.4 bn from the UK Government and added further savings could be made by scrapping the National Care Service and the baby box, closing Scottish Government offices abroad, and by not increasing the social security bill or sending aid to schools abroad.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay (Image: Colin Mearns) Alongside the income tax cuts, Mr Findlay is also proposing 100% relief for pubs and restaurants next year, meaning they would pay no business rates at all, alongside 40% rates relief for Scottish retail, hospitality and leisure businesses.

The proposals would also see LBTT reduced to zero per cent on all residential properties up to £250,000 which would save the average house buyer approximately £800.

The Scottish Conservatives have estimated the full cost of the tax cutting measures would come to between approximately £936m to £984m.

Finance spokesman Craig Hoy has also written to his counterpart Shona Robison with further details of the party’s tax plans.

“Our common sense tax plan would cut bills for workers, businesses and would-be homeowners," Mr Findlay said.

“We would start to undo the damage of SNP tax rises by reducing income tax, business rates and LBTT.

“The SNP, Labour and other left-wing parties in the Scottish Parliament are unlikely to support it because they seem to think they can keep taking so much of taxpayers’ money while giving so little in return. Our common sense plan is an alternative approach to what Holyrood usually comes up with."

He added:  "This plan is bold and ambitious. It would provide families and businesses with more freedom and control over the money they work so hard to earn.

"We believe it will be backed by aspirational workers and businesses across Scotland, even if it’s not supported by the SNP.”

Mr Hoy said: “We see this plan as the starting point of a process to reduce taxes to the same level as the rest of the United Kingdom, potentially even lower.

“Our common sense plan is very different to the SNP’s approach. It would encourage aspiration and provide a fair reward for hard work.

“The SNP can afford to cut taxes with the extra money they have from the UK Government, combined with sensible savings they could make from more efficient and effective spending. Once the SNP open the books and we see the full state of public finances, we will set out how we would save the taxpayers’ money so that our common sense plan is 100% affordable and responsible.”

Currently those earning between £14,800 and £26,600 pay 20% income tax, while those earning between £26,600 and £43,700 pay 21% income tax.

Under the SNP, anyone earning more than £28,800 pays more tax in Scotland (approximately 50% of Scottish taxpayers).

The Scottish Tories said a 40% business rates relief to Scottish retail, hospitality and leisure businesses would replicate the proposal funded by the UK Government for businesses in England. The Fraser of Allander Institute estimates this would cost £220m in Scotland.

Providing full business rates relief for Scotland’s pubs and restaurants would mean every pub and restaurant in Scotland would pay no rates this year with 3,430 pubs benefitting with an average saving of £15,405; 3,299 restaurants would benefit with an average saving of £20,028.

This proposal would cost between approximately £72-£119m depend on overlap with other reliefs, according to the Scottish Conservatives's analysis.

Meanwhile, cutting LBTT to 0% for residential properties worth up to £250, 000 would raise the current zero rate threshold from the existing £145,000.

The Conservatives's analysis said the proposal, which would cost £62m, would see up to 59,000 house buyers benefit, saving an average house buyer £800.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Ministers are committed to building as broad support as possible across Parliament in order to deliver the forthcoming budget.

"Engagement with all parties is ongoing ahead of the draft budget being set out in the Scottish Parliament on 4 December.”