Numerous leading economists and property experts have displayed their support for reforming the UK’s property taxes, replacing Council Tax and Stamp Duty with our Proportional Property Tax.

Carol Lewis | Deputy property editor, The Times and Sunday Times

From its early stages, Carol has covered our campaign in The Times and Sunday Times. She also featured on a panel with our founder, Andrew Dixon, at the Conservative Party Conference in 2021 – here is her review, including the need to reform Council Tax with a Proportional Property Tax:

Property news from the 2021 Conservative Party conference

Martin Wolf | Chief economics commentator at the Financial Times

Martin Wolf’s support for property tax reform pre-dates our campaign as he has been writing about the scourge of Council Tax for a number of years. In one of his more recent contributions to the debate, he said: ” The Fairer Share manifesto provides a compelling attack on council tax. It should be reformed.”

Now is the time to reform the UK’s dysfunctional tax system

Russell Lynch | Economics Editor, Daily Telegraph

Russell Lynch wrote during the height of last year’s Stamp Duty holiday: “Stamp duty can’t be considered in isolation. A proper approach would see a comprehensive review of all property taxes. Top of the list would be replacing the manifest unfairness of a council tax based on 1991 property valuations.”

Stamp Duty should be scrapped and the whole property system reformed

Sir James Mirrlees | British Economist and winner of 1996 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.

In 2010, the Institute for Fiscal Studies wanted to undertake a review of the UK’s tax system. The panel was chaired by Nobel Memorial Prize winner, Sir James Mirrlees. The Mirrlees review said that Council Tax was “regressive without good reason” and that Stamp Duty is “inefficient and badly designed tax on transactions.”

Read a summary of the Mirrlees Review

Mirrlees Review of tax system recommends radical changes

Paul Cheshire | Emeritus Professor of Economic Geography, LSE and Christian Hilber | Professor of Economic Geography, LSE

As part of Bright Blue’s cross-party Tax Commission, Professors Cheshire and Hilber led a report seeking to identify the best system for property tax reform. On the release of the report, Professor Cheshire said: “With these reforms, we have aimed to strike a balance between what is economically efficient yet also politically feasible. Moving to an APPT fulfils both of these criteria, as well as having a role to play in addressing regional inequalities. These reforms will result in a system of property taxation that is fairer, greener, helps deliver more new homes and is simpler and more transparent than the one we have now.”

 Home truths: options for reforming residential property taxes in England