SCOTS have been warned their council tax bills are set to soar under moves to allow local authorities the freedom to impose new fees and charges.
Cash strapped councils are calling for new powers to review discounts and exemptions and also to impose additional levies.
It comes after the Herald revealed that Scotland's council tax mountain has risen to record levels, increasing sharply by nearly 50% in a year as concerns grow of a credit crisis during the coronavirus pandemic.
In 2020/21 the amount of council tax that remained outstanding amounted to £139.552m on March 31, 2021.
Last year, before the pandemic hit, the council tax debt stood at £95.4m - a rise of nearly 25% on the previous year.
READ MORE: Cash crisis as Scottish council tax debts soar to record £140m
The amount currently owed in council tax which has led to tens of thousands of households being pursued is believed to have impacted by the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic as councils limited debt recovery processes to avoid contributing to financial pressure on council taxpayers.
Singletons, students and the disabled are among those who get discounted rates, while more control over levies would allow councils to force other groups to pay more.
Local authorities are also looking for more control over planning fees and business rates, as well as over more local taxes, like on tourists or workplace parking.
The so-called ‘super council tax’ demands came from the local authorities' umbrella group Cosla in response to a Scottish Government inquiry on tax.
But it has come under fire as it raises fears of soaring council tax bills at a time when consumers are being hammered by soaring energy bills and fuel costs.
A spokesman for the Taxpayers’ Alliance said: “These proposals could see council tax bills skyrocket and will feel like a kick in the teeth to taxpayers.”
Since 2007, the SNP has frozen or controlled increases to council tax rates. Scottish local councils have complained loudly in recent years that they are struggling to fund vital services.
But independent experts say that councils are currently facing a £284 million cut in core revenue funding after inflation, according to an analysis lodged with the Scottish Parliament.
Cosla has previously warned that next year's funding settlement would be "disastrous" for communities and that essential services have been left in a "precarious position".
Councillor Gail Macgregor, its resources spokeswoman, said the funding outlined in the Ms Forbes' Scottish budget represented a £100 million cut.
But Ms Forbes insisted the spending plan deliver “real-terms growth" for councils.
Scottish Labour local government spokesman Mark Griffin said that “years of SNP austerity and cuts have pushed our local authorities to breaking point.”
He added: “Cosla has long called for increased flexibility for local government to determine taxes and levies, giving more scope to raise revenue to address local priorities and strengthen local democracy.
"We put forward a number of suggested areas to focus on in the short and medium term.
"A transient visitor levy and workplace parking are important in setting the principle of local taxation."
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Despite continued economic uncertainty due to the pandemic, we are providing a real terms increase of over 5 per cent to local authority budgets for the coming year.”
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