Another Nats' U-turn as visitor levy bill changed

Back to crawing board for many councils

- BY DAVID WALKER Scottish Politics Reporter

THE Scottish Government has been forced into yet another humiliating U-turn as it has been obliged to amend its tourist tax bill, a year after it became law.

The legislation gives councils the power to introduce a visitor levy for overnight stays, but unlike many similar taxes in Europe it also applies to people who live in Scotland.

Already, Glasgow and Edinburgh have announced plans to bring it in, with the capital rolling it out next summer ahead of the Festival Fringe.

But some local authorities will have to go back to the drawing board as its implementation is being changed.

The SNP voted down amendments to the original legislation, allowing councils to set a flat fee instead of a percentage, making it easier for businesses to collect the cash.

At the time, Minister Tom Arthur said: “A flat-fee model has its own merits, including ease of collection, but it sacrifices the fairness that is inherent in a percentage rate.”