This section provides that the Scottish Parliament may pass a resolution providing for the basic rate of income tax to be increased or reduced for Scottish taxpayers - by not more than three pence in the pound - from that determined by the UK Parliament. The increased or reduced rate will not apply to income from savings and distributions.
This section is the first of a set of sections dealing with the tax-varying power of the Scottish Parliament.
Section 73 allows the Scottish Parliament to pass a resolution varying the basic rate of income tax for Scottish taxpayers by no more than three per cent. Section 74 makes further provisions with respect to tax-varying resolutions, and section 75 defines the term “Scottish taxpayer”.
Section 76 makes provision to take account of future changes to the structure of UK income tax. Sections 77 and 78 describe the accounting arrangements where income tax is increased or decreased for Scottish taxpayers. Section 79 permits the Treasury to make consequential subordinate legislation.
| Stage | Date | Column |
|---|---|---|
| CC | 23-Feb-98 | 40 |
| CC | 23-Feb-98 | 69 |
| CR | 19-May-98 | 764 |
| LC | 30-Jul-98 | 1721 |
| LC | 6-Oct-98 | 261 |
| Stage | Date | Column |
| LC | 6-Oct-98 | 262 |
| LC | 6-Oct-98 | 273 |
| LC | 6-Oct-98 | 274 |
| LR | 28-Oct-98 | 2053 |
Subsection (1) describes the circumstances in which this section will apply. It applies where income tax is charged for any tax year and the Scottish Parliament has passed a resolution varying the basic rate of income tax for Scottish taxpayers by no more than three pence in the pound. The variation must be by a whole number or half of a whole number. Subsection (1) further provides that the section is subject to the conditions attaching to such tax-varying resolutions set out in section 74.
Subsection (2) provides that where the section applies, the basic rate of income tax determined by the UK Parliament for any tax year as it applies to the income of Scottish taxpayers shall be varied by the amount specified in the resolution.
Subsection (3) states that income from Scottish taxpayers does not include income from savings and distributions.
Subsections (4) and (5) provide that the section will also have effect where the charging of income tax or the determination of the basic rate for any tax year is given effect to by means of a resolution of the House of Commons under the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act 1968.