When the Chancellor raised that property tax reform is firmly on the table this week, the response from some corners of the press was as predictable as it was dangerously misleading. Kirstie Allsopp splashed warnings that Labour was plotting to “punish homeowners” with a mansion tax by another name.

That couldn’t be further from the truth. And we’re calling it out.

The reality is that Britain’s property tax system is already broken – and has been for over 30 years. Families in modest homes are paying far more than their fair share under frozen 1991 Council Tax bands, while multimillion-pound properties in some of the wealthiest parts of the country pay relatively little. Meanwhile, Stamp Duty actively discourages people from moving, locking up the housing market and stopping families from finding homes that suit their needs.

Unfair doesn’t even begin to describe the detrimental effect these taxes have on people’s lives who are trying to make a good life for themselves, or just simply ‘get by’. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Fairer Share is proud to have brought this debate into the mainstream by funding the research with Onward & providing the data that the policy was built on. And we’ll continue to push for the Proportional Property Tax in the UK.

Why Fairer Share’s Proposal Makes Sense

Our solution is simple: replace both Council Tax and Stamp Duty with a Proportional Property Tax (PPT), based on the current value of a home. That means no more outdated bands and no more punishing transaction taxes. Just a modern, fair, and transparent system.

And here’s the crucial part that the Daily Mail left out: 77% of households would pay less or the same under PPT, with the average household saving £556 per year. This isn’t about punishing people. It’s about correcting an imbalance that has left ordinary households carrying too much of the burden for far too long.

Built-In Safeguards

Unlike the scare stories of “mansion tax raids,” the proposals being discussed come with safeguards to protect households from sudden or unfair shocks.

  • Homes that have already paid Stamp Duty won’t face the new levy until they’re next sold, avoiding any risk of double taxation.
  • Councils would be guaranteed a stable funding base, with a minimum £800 contribution from every property, so local services aren’t left short.
  • The system would be progressive, with national rates applying only to property value above £500,000, meaning the vast majority of homes pay less or no more than they do today.

That’s not a tax bomb. That’s a fairer, more transparent system.

Learning from Global Examples

Far from being a radical punishment, proportional property taxes are the norm across advanced economies. Countries like Australia, Singapore, Denmark, and parts of the U.S. have long recognised that funding local services this way is more sustainable, more efficient, and more just. Britain is the outlier. And it’s time for change.

Moving the Debate Forward

The Chancellor’s recognition that property tax needs reforming is welcome, and we look forward to working with the HM Treasury as they look to model different solutions. But let’s cut through the noise: the choice is not between the status quo and a so-called “mansion tax.” The real choice is between clinging to a broken, unfair system – or embracing a proven, fair, and modern alternative that works for the majority.

We were key to bringing this campaign to the forefront and we’re just getting started. Not because it punishes those with more or hurts the wallets of ordinary people, but because it delivers the fairness that millions of households desperately need.