Public understanding of tax devolution: update report 2020

Main findings

• The majority of respondents said the UK Government has the most control over the taxes they pay in Wales.
• Most respondents did not know that the Welsh Government has been able to set some taxes in Wales since April 2018.
• There was a significant increase in awareness that the Welsh Government is able to set different Income Tax rates in Wales.
• Respondents were less likely to correctly identify who has responsibility for setting levels of tax you pay when you buy a house in Wales and tax on waste that is sent to landfill compared with other taxes.

Background

During 2019, the Welsh Government carried out a series of communications campaigns to raise awareness of the partial devolution of Welsh rates of income tax. This followed on from 2017-18 when activity was targeted to inform and engage on the devolution of Land Transaction Tax and Landfill Disposals Tax.

The findings from the research will be used to inform where engagement should be targeted among different groups of the population, in order to raise awareness of the link between the money earned and raised in Wales through Welsh taxes, and how it is spent on public services.