TUC calls for empty homes tax
Posted: November 15th, 2009 | Author: James | Filed under: Politics |The Guardian reports that the TUC want an empty homes tax. It’s good to see that the number of empty homes in the UK getting some press. Of course, this is a politically appealing act that would still exempt people who put in a caretaker in a vacant house, or a older person alone in a large house. In reality the burden of taxation should be moved onto housing so that opportunity costs become explicit to those who choose to keep properties underused or empty.
This call by the TUC to tax long term empty property -empty for long than a year that is empty for no good reason should be fully supported. It could generate considerable income but more importantly focus the mind of owners of empty property. If introduced, it could lead to more property becoming made availble to rent. It will also help sustain jobs in hte building industry. Leaving a property empty and doing nothing will increasingly nolonger be an option.