The Welsh Government will put forward the vacant land tax idea to test the Wales Act 2014 powers, Cabinet Secretary for Finance Mark Drakeford said today.
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
The Cabinet Secretary will today set out the next steps for proposing a new Welsh tax as part of the tax policy work plan for 2018.
Since announcing a shortlist of 4 new tax ideas alongside the draft Budget in October, the Welsh Government has been examining the case for each of these.
The 4 tax ideas were: a social care levy, a vacant land tax, a disposable plastics tax and a tourism tax.
Although the vacant land tax idea will be used to test the Wales Act powers, work will also continue on each of the other 3 tax ideas.
The decision to take forward the vacant land tax idea follows engagement with stakeholder organisations, the public and across government.
A vacant land tax has been chosen both because it could help to incentivise more timely development, and because it could help prevent dereliction and aid regeneration.
Professor Drakeford said:
“Housing is a priority for the Welsh Government. A tax on vacant land could prevent the practice of land banking and land not being developed within the expected timescales.
“The Republic of Ireland vacant sites levy provides a useful starting point for how a vacant land tax could work in Wales.
“The existing model in the Republic of Ireland and the relatively narrow focus of the tax make this the most suitable of the 4 shortlisted ideas to test the Wales Act.”