Some of what is being mooted in this piece to help second home owners dodge their tax liabilities is tax evasion and a criminal offence. I hope Councils who rightly want homes to be used for people who need them throw those owners into prison. www.theguardian.com/money/2025/m... - ThreadSky

jolyonmaugham.bsky.social • 1 day ago

Some of what is being mooted in this piece to help second home owners dodge their tax liabilities is tax evasion and a criminal offence. I hope Councils who rightly want homes to be used for people who need them throw those owners into prison. https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/mar/02/tax-war-brews-over-britains-charming-little-getaways-by-the-sea?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Comments

stephenh.bsky.social•1 day ago

“Charming little getaways by the sea….”
Says it all

r0bertpau1s0n.bsky.social•1 day ago

I think the general rule should be: if you “need” a second home, build it yourself, otherwise 100% property tax. No company should be allowed to own residential property for the purpose of profiting from its use.

rsk-1m.bsky.social•1 day ago

Who'd want a second holiday home in the U.K.? The British weather is so unpredictable and rarely has temp. over 26°.

Countries on the equatorial line are much better suited for such acquisitions.

margathi.bsky.social•1 day ago

Sadly, very many people have second properties - both as holiday homes but probably greater in number are the properties bought to rent out, either as holiday lets/Air B&B or residential lets. This has taken a lot of property out of the “buy” market. It’s a real problem esp. in tourist destinations.

trybetter.bsky.social•1 day ago

I have a cousin who lives in a small run-down flat in London & also owns a small run-down flat in a holiday town where she grew up. She & her son both have special needs. She uses it as a place to escape to repair her mental health. Organising to go abroad would be too hard for her.

mo-fitzgerald.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Whilst I sympathise with mental health and the concept of asylum, their 'mental stress' isn't likely to be lessened by the ongoing responsibilities of financing, trying to maintain 2 properties, let alone living in difficult conditions. So I'm not sure I understand your comment.

trybetter.bsky.social•21 hours ago

All I can say is it's working for her, whatever you or I may choose to do in her position.

rsk-1m.bsky.social•21 hours ago

Having a break away from the stresses of life and have somewhere to go to that can be a place of relaxation is something that I can certainly relate to.

If it works then there's no point breaking it.

mo-fitzgerald.bsky.social•20 hours ago

There's a danger of getting into the realms of bartering one individuals right to mental health vs. another.

Holiday home vs. Homeless.

If there were enough affordable housing for all, then council taxpayers wouldn't have to stump up money to support homeless people or those with 'special needs'.

trybetter.bsky.social•19 hours ago

You're right. Though her story is more complicated & one I won't repeat here.

fatbaldboomer.bsky.social•19 hours ago

https://youtu.be/5EDKRGkgLsI?si=OIqj5h6POYyN1_TS&t=1979

catpawsc.bsky.social•23 hours ago

You should see the contortions Brits in France and other EU countries get themselves into whilst trying to avoid paying tax on their 2nd homes.

elimuann.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Then wonder why they’re told to pay up or leave since post-Brexit.🤦🏻‍♀️

chrisclipson.bsky.social•1 day ago

And as ever, even the so-called liberal press is swallowing and regurgitating the rentier view, lobbying for capital against community

mjdoublekind.bsky.social•1 day ago

Doubling council tax for a second home is a regressive tax policy. The side-effect is collapsing house prices for everyone. A lot of people would end up in negative equity on huge mortgages that they, at the time of buying, was matched. Foreclosures would be wide spread. Set the country back an eon.

jolyonmaugham.bsky.social•1 day ago

I don't think you know what regressive means.

mjdoublekind.bsky.social•1 day ago

It disproportionately affects those with higher debt, putting them into negative equity and penalising them for being aspirational. People who are rich with a second home and no debt…are not going to lose as much. It’s regressive in that context.

jolyonmaugham.bsky.social•1 day ago

No it doesn't. It affects those with second homes: richer people.

mjdoublekind.bsky.social•19 hours ago

You are not factoring in a house price drop across the board for whatever region that this is introduced. Look at the Wales example: A single home owner, who took out a proportionately large debt (mortgage) to purchase a home, now finds themselves in negative equity due to precipitous drop in value.

ian-medgett.bsky.social•22 hours ago

The property market is a pyramid scheme.
It should have been allowed to revalue after 2008 as happened in Ireland.
Houses should be homes and not just viewed as investment vehicles.

mjdoublekind.bsky.social•19 hours ago

I agree with this

jbuzza.bsky.social•1 day ago

Is this part of the new owners agenda ?

pearcee.bsky.social•20 hours ago

I know a law firm that deliberately assisted a client in tax evasion and they’re hiding behind. ‘Privilege’. How can this be right with the crime-fraud exception?

mrsvsmegma.bsky.social•23 hours ago

Normally agree with you on most things but is it fair that second property owners should pay 2 x the standard rate of council tax? Council tax should be paid in full on all properties imho unless there are valid exemptions but twice the rate for the same level of services? What if you own 3 or more?

clairebradley.bsky.social•23 hours ago

Yes, it is fair. Why do you need three homes? If you own three homes and you are only using one full time, then you are depriving others, particularly locals, of the chance to own their own home, by taking that housing stock out of circulation.

mrsvsmegma.bsky.social•23 hours ago

No-one needs 3 homes but you could need two for a while if you are moving to a new location over a period of a few years but still need to keep a base in your original location. I’ll give you two examples. I intend in the next couple of years to retire to the coast. My work currently is 150 miles

catpawsc.bsky.social•23 hours ago

Who the hell takes a few years to relocate?

mrsvsmegma.bsky.social•16 hours ago

Depends where your work is and how long you have to work. Not everyone can sell up and simply move straight into another place

mrsvsmegma.bsky.social•23 hours ago

Away. Until I can fully retire I will need to run two properties. At some point I will reduce to one. Why should I pay 2x council tax on the coast one? I only use 1 x the services. I should deffo pay full council tax on both properties. My boys may also go to Uni where we live now

mrsvsmegma.bsky.social•23 hours ago

So again I may wish to let them stay in our current house whilst the rest of my family live on the coast. Again is it fair that I pay 2 x council tax on the coast property?

ian-medgett.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Yes, absolutely.

catpawsc.bsky.social•23 hours ago

You're kids wouldn't pay council tax if that's their home as they'd be exempt.

mrsvsmegma.bsky.social•23 hours ago

Using council tax to discourage people from owning 2 or more properties feels like the wrong instrument to me because of unintended consequences

fizzbw.bsky.social•1 day ago

I’m hiding in a caravan cos there’s nowhere to rent in my rural community (been here 40yrs). All Airbnb or 2nd homes. I can’t get PP on my tiny patch of non agri land. Offered it to council for 6 tiny houses for locals like me, they said great! - but that’s all cos planning doesn’t allow. It’s crap.

elimuann.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Small properties for single locals here are also badly needed, not 4 & 5 bed properties for incomers😢

fizzbw.bsky.social•4 hours ago

Absolutely. Our village has ONLY has that type built for years. The affordable housing that the PP for all them was predicated on has not been built 😢 it’s a predictable mess but it won’t stop them enforcing on me. Then I’ll be vanlife in lay-bys I expect! It’s shit.

heptaglemious.bsky.social•1 day ago

Tax war? What on earth has happened to The Observer? We have a national housing shortage, nobody under 30 can afford to buy a house, and they are going to bat for second home owners? Bollocks to that.

baron-of-navan.bsky.social•1 day ago

Just have a look at any holiday rental site of how many homes are avilable next week in say Whitby or St Ives ext its crackers

jolyonmaugham.bsky.social•1 day ago

That's how I read the piece too, I have to say. It's so often like a discount Sunday Times - which is why it's haemorrhaging money (and getting sold).

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