Is the proposed mansion tax actually a step in the right direction?

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  1. Merryn

  (27 February 2013, 03:51PM)  Complain about this comment

  I say above that I would be happy with a mansion tax if it was explicitly recognised as a location tax and if other taxes were dropped as a result. You might say that this is what Ed M is trying to do with his idea to have a mansion tax and reinstate the 10p rate at the same time. But this is not a shift of any kind. It is just a silly complication. We don't need any more of those.

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  2. Ellen

  (27 February 2013, 04:48PM)  Complain about this comment

  I don't understand why someone who lives in a small two bedroom flat should attract a property tax that a rolling estate, anywhere, is able to avoid. Young people and people who cannot find employment tend to go to London for work and it is very unfair to suggest they are privileged because they took the initiative to make a move anybody could do. Making first homes liable to CGT or taxing empty bedrooms would be fairer. Or, a true mansion tax, taxed by the acre.

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  3. MichaelL

  (27 February 2013, 04:55PM)  Complain about this comment

  
  >Is the proposed mansion tax actually a step in the
  >right direction?
  >Mansion or hard-working family home? Take the test
  >Location, location, location
  >The real motive behind a mansion tax
  
  Is it really that big of a deal to most people? Probably won't affect most people (2m homes). Is it symbolic, are there better taxes? Of course, but your preaching to the converted on that one. Most people know that and don't care about taxes that only affect other people -and- have marginal impact to the wider economy.
  
  Just be thankful you don't work for Marissa Mayer
  (Yahoo), you'd never get to upload stuff from your mansion ... you'd be suited and booted in the office.
  

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  4. MichaelL

  (27 February 2013, 04:56PM)  Complain about this comment

  @Ellen
  The point just flew past you and waved goodbye.
  
  " why someone who lives in a small two bedroom flat should attract a property tax that a rolling estate, anywhere, is able to avoid."
  
  Because even in London small 2 bedroom flats are rarely worth 2million plus.

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  5. Banker

  (27 February 2013, 05:33PM)  Complain about this comment

  Merryn, how many pieces have you wrote on this? It kooks like you are not a financial tipster, not even political journalist but a political campaigner. Someone who pays over £2m for a dirty and tiny flat in london, in my opinion should pay mansion tax just like a Lord of a mansion if his mansion is big enougph and in good enougph location to be worth more then £2m plus stupidity/obsenities tax as it is obscene to but dirty tiny flats for £2m a go. It is something I just would not do even if I had 1bn.

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  6. Bayard

  (27 February 2013, 05:51PM)  Complain about this comment

  IMHO, the Mansion Tax is the new AV. It's what politicans do when an idea they dislike is "gaining traction". They take the most extreme and absurd version of it that they can get away with pretending to be supporting and then, when it is shot down in flames, they can safely ditch the idea it was based on, too. AV was the death of Proportional Representation and the Mansion Tax will be the death of Location Value Tax.

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  7. Merryn

  (28 February 2013, 09:12AM)  Complain about this comment

  I'm writing a lot on this because I am trying to explain its importance. A mansion tax is a location tax. On top of other taxes this is bad. If we used this conversation to shift our tax base entirely to one based on land location not income it might be very good. The mansion tax seems like a tiny political row involving only the rich. I suspect it is a great deal more than that.

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  8. Boris Macdonut

  (28 February 2013, 07:29PM)  Complain about this comment

  #7 Merryn. The First World War was a "tiny political row involving only the rich",unfortunately many innocents had to be embroiled. The mansion tax is about fairness.

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  9. James

  (04 March 2013, 10:02PM)  Complain about this comment

  Thanks for emphasising this point Merryn. I totally agree with you that this is basically a location tax, or land tax. I would love to see land taxes and consumption taxes introduced INSTEAD of capital gains taxes and income taxes. They are much fairer systems.
  
  PS - I could listen to you talk forever - you have a lovely voice!

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