Insurance News Archive

Scottish commercial property owner slams 'tax grab' plans

The managing director of a Scottish commercial property firm has hit out at government plans to reform empty properties tax, claiming it is not in their best interest to have properties unfilled.

Margaret Mary Rafferty from Ceteris has dismissed the plans as a 'tax grab' and has written to a number of MSPs to rubbish the idea that it benefits her company and others like it to have empty buildings. 

Owners and landlords still need to take out adequate commercial property insurance whether buildings are empty or not and this tax could add up to further outgoings. 

Ms Rafferty told the Scotsman: "We are already trying to keep people in properties by offering them better deals than we have ever offered before. There is no commercial benefit to us in not letting out property."

The Scottish government claim that reform will reduce the cost of empty property relief by an estimated £36 million over the three-year spending review period.

Posted by Dan Winters

14 Nov 2011