Edinburgh Tourist Tax

[Greenbank2]

How many of the people paying hotel bills - particularly at the top branded chains - are paying it themselves? An awful lot is claimed on expenses and passed on to companies who won't notice any difference.

[Pans Jambo]

Non UK/EU passport holders should pay £25 “entry visa” when they land at the airport or at the ferry port. The trouble with a hotel “tourist tax” is that even Scots will have to pay it. 

[¼½¾]

20 hours ago, Smithee said:

 

The body running our city now have a bit more money to spend on it - how can that possibly be negative for residents?

 

Even if your worst fears are realised (although they seem pretty unrealistic to me, the cost of administering will be nothing like the hundreds of thousands, possibly millions this'll bring in) it would be cash neutral. How could even that possibly be negative for residents?

It's been estimated that it might raise between £11.6m and £14.6m a year, and that's at the current proposed rate, which, Edinburgh council being Edinburgh council, won't stay at that for long.

[Ray Gin]

1 hour ago, Lemongrab said:

It's been estimated that it might raise between £11.6m and £14.6m a year, and that's at the current proposed rate, which, Edinburgh council being Edinburgh council, won't stay at that for long.

 

Excellent, maybe they can start fixing our roads with this money.

 

[Ribble]

9 hours ago, Pans Jambo said:

Non UK/EU passport holders should pay £25 “entry visa” when they land at the airport or at the ferry port. The trouble with a hotel “tourist tax” is that even Scots will have to pay it. 

 

Depends on how it's implemented, you could have exclusions for scottish residents

[Pans Jambo]

27 minutes ago, Ribble said:

 

Depends on how it's implemented, you could have exclusions for scottish residents

 Could but they wont. U ken the crack. 

[Thunderstruck]

10 hours ago, Pans Jambo said:

Non UK/EU passport holders should pay £25 “entry visa” when they land at the airport or at the ferry port. The trouble with a hotel “tourist tax” is that even Scots will have to pay it. 

 

Tourists are tourists. If you are a resident on one of the Hebrides, does it matter where the visitors come from?

 

As for air passenger taxes, the Scottish Govt should probably sort out the APD/ADT Horlicks before they start tinkering with other taxes. Also, the change to ADT was supposed to cut the cost of travelling to and from Scotland - this all sounds like a strange bit of give and take. 

[Pans Jambo]

47 minutes ago, Thunderstruck said:

 

Tourists are tourists. If you are a resident on one of the Hebrides, does it matter where the visitors come from?

 

As for air passenger taxes, the Scottish Govt should probably sort out the APD/ADT Horlicks before they start tinkering with other taxes. Also, the change to ADT was supposed to cut the cost of travelling to and from Scotland - this all sounds like a strange bit of give and take. 

I dont think people from Scotland should be paying a “tourist tax”. I frequently stay in hotels all over Scotland because of my job. Should there be a “Rep’s” tax as well?

charge them when the enter via an airport, a ferry port or add it to a train ticket price (free if the drive across the border obviously). 

I agree about the APD. Needs sorted so it actually benefits Scots & not just folk flying here. 

[Thunderstruck]

1 hour ago, Pans Jambo said:

I dont think people from Scotland should be paying a “tourist tax”. I frequently stay in hotels all over Scotland because of my job. Should there be a “Rep’s” tax as well?

charge them when the enter via an airport, a ferry port or add it to a train ticket price (free if the drive across the border obviously). 

I agree about the APD. Needs sorted so it actually benefits Scots & not just folk flying here. 

 

What about Reps, Buyers, etc. from England or further afield? Would taxing them send out a good message. 

 

Conferences are very big business - are they tourism?

 

Just small examples but indicative of what happens when exemptions are introduced - the cost of admin rises and the cries of inequity ring loud. 

 

We can already see that with the workplace parking charge proposals where there are calls for x, y and z to be exempted.  Then again, virtually all workplace parking is already the subject of a local tax on occupation of property (Non-Domestic Rates). 

[Pans Jambo]

12 minutes ago, Thunderstruck said:

 

What about Reps, Buyers, etc. from England or further afield? Would taxing them send out a good message. 

 

Conferences are very big business - are they tourism?

 

Just small examples but indicative of what happens when exemptions are introduced - the cost of admin rises and the cries of inequity ring loud. 

 

We can already see that with the workplace parking charge proposals where there are calls for x, y and z to be exempted.  Then again, virtually all workplace parking is already the subject of a local tax on occupation of property (Non-Domestic Rates). 

As I said in my original post about this, non UK/EU passport holders only. 

[Blackford Hearts]

11 minutes ago, Thunderstruck said:

 

What about Reps, Buyers, etc. from England or further afield? Would taxing them send out a good message. 

 

Conferences are very big business - are they tourism?

 

Just small examples but indicative of what happens when exemptions are introduced - the cost of admin rises and the cries of inequity ring loud. 

 

We can already see that with the workplace parking charge proposals where there are calls for x, y and z to be exempted.  Then again, virtually all workplace parking is already the subject of a local tax on occupation of property (Non-Domestic Rates). 

I agree it won’t give out a positive message to businesses The Scottish Govrnment are calling it Transient Visitor Tax, not Tourist Tax which possibly indicates who thwy are targeting i.e. everyone  possible. In fairness they cover all the options in the National Discussion Paper. 

They say there is no evidence of impact in UK which is not surprising as Edinburgh would be the 1st place in UK to introduce it

[Blackford Hearts]

17 minutes ago, Pans Jambo said:

As I said in my original post about this, non UK/EU passport holders only. 

How could this be administered. What if the non UK travellers who arrive by car or train? 

What happens if / when we leave the EU. 

I’m asking as a sceptic who feels it’s going to be difficult if not impossible to implement fairly

[milky_26]

Just now, Blackford Hearts said:

How could this be administered. What if the non UK travellers who arrive by car or train? 

What happens if / when we leave the EU. 

I’m asking as a sceptic who feels it’s going to be difficult if not impossible to implement fairly

or what about non uk/eu people who live and work/study here

[Blackford Hearts]

10 minutes ago, milky_26 said:

or what about non uk/eu people who live and work/study here

What if someone from Edinburgh fancies a night in a hotel in Edinburgh or a Spa Break? 

[Unknown user]

10 minutes ago, Blackford Hearts said:

How could this be administered. What if the non UK travellers who arrive by car or train? 

What happens if / when we leave the EU. 

I’m asking as a sceptic who feels it’s going to be difficult if not impossible to implement fairly

How have so many cities managed to do it then?

I really don't get why you've got such a bee in your bonnet about it, it's not unusual, it's not complicated and it's not likely to be negative to residents. There are loads of examples of working models across Europe and the world, it's clearly a workable concept. 

[Pans Jambo]

23 minutes ago, Blackford Hearts said:

How could this be administered. What if the non UK travellers who arrive by car or train? 

What happens if / when we leave the EU. 

I’m asking as a sceptic who feels it’s going to be difficult if not impossible to implement fairly

If you land at an airport or a ferry port and dont have a UK passport. You pay at arrivals. 

Other countries make us do it. 

If you arrive at a Scottish hotel & you can prove (driving licence or whatever) that you live/work in the UK, you dont pay the hotel tourist tax. 

 

No need for backstop negotiations really. 

[Blackford Hearts]

Ok....honest answer to valid question. 

 

I am 53 and have seen City of Edinburgh Council hemeorage cash for as long as I can remember. 

 

They are skint and will try anything to reduce costs and increase revenue. Nothing wrong with that if it’s used wisely. 

 

An an example of poor planning (there’s loads but here’s one) 

 

I worked in a school in Edinburgh that was closed down to save money. Fair enough if, as they claimed they think they can provide same service elsewhere. 

 

People were paid off then re-employed after 6 months, virtually all staff still employed by council so that cost same. 

 

The building lies empty 2 1/2 years on therefore income opportunities lost. 

 

There are are plenty others and that’s maybe a bad example but my point is I cannot see them administering this well, or using the income to benefit tourism. 

 

This is is a massive income generator for Edinburgh and Scotland and there is already a financial boost via local services and tax paid on profits. 

 

Hopefully that answers why I am (hopefully irrationally) concerned 

[Thunderstruck]

2 hours ago, Pans Jambo said:

If you land at an airport or a ferry port and dont have a UK passport. You pay at arrivals. 

Other countries make us do it. 

If you arrive at a Scottish hotel & you can prove (driving licence or whatever) that you live/work in the UK, you dont pay the hotel tourist tax. 

 

No need for backstop negotiations really. 

 

The fly in that jar of ointment is that the Tourist Tax is a supplemental local tax to be imposed if there is a local will to impose such a tax. Imposing the tax at port of entry makes it a nationally collected tax to distributed to councils at the whim of a higher authority; a routine that has hardly covered itself in glory in recent years. 

[pablo]

I would like to see any taxes raised from Tourists and/or the workplace parking levy go towards extending the trams. 

 

The Evening News reader seethe would be tremendous ?

 

 

[Blackford Hearts]

2 hours ago, pablo said:

I would like to see any taxes raised from Tourists and/or the workplace parking levy go towards extending the trams. 

 

The Evening News reader seethe would be tremendous ?

 

 

? They could do that legitimately within the remit as transport is part of tourism services

[Pans Jambo]

Anyway, instead of inventing new and imaginitive ways of collecting tax, perhaps we should stop inventing imaginitive ways of allowing Billionaires and Corporations to avoid paying tax. Then there would be plenty to go round. 

Simple really. 

Edited February 6, 2019 by Pans Jambo

[Sarah O]

8 hours ago, pablo said:

I would like to see any taxes raised from Tourists and/or the workplace parking levy go towards extending the trams. 

 

The Evening News reader seethe would be tremendous ?

 

 

I actually would like that. Get the trams down Gorgie, Leith and Porty. 

[hughesie27]

On 02/02/2019 at 21:53, Blackford Hearts said:

Cannot understand where this has come from, aside from a council who are desperately overstretched financially, and would try anything to get additional revenue. 

 

It it makes no sense. Tourism is going well in an instable environment. None of the tourist boards seem to agree with it. 

 

SNP have passed it through Holyrood with the Greens support despite (apparently) having no mandate to do so. 

 

How will it be funded administratively and who is going to be collecting? Will admin costs outweigh the income stream? 

?

[Blackford Hearts]

6 minutes ago, hughesie27 said:

?

So I assume you don't agree then?

 

Can you give me some suggestions as to how you think it will work?

[Blackford Hearts]

4 hours ago, Pans Jambo said:

Anyway, instead of inventing new and imaginitive ways of collecting tax, perhaps we should stop inventing imaginitive ways of allowing Billionaires and Corporations to avoid paying tax. Then there would be plenty to go round. 

 Simple really. 

I think we can all agree about that!!!

[hughesie27]

25 minutes ago, Blackford Hearts said:

So I assume you don't agree then?

 

Can you give me some suggestions as to how you think it will work?

I was laughing at you thinking it will cost more in admin fees than money it will generate.

It will be implemented the same way it has been across many other countries and cities. 

[milky_26]

1 hour ago, Sarah O said:

I actually would like that. Get the trams down Gorgie, Leith and Porty. 

while i dont like the trams and think they have been a massive waste of money. The current network is there and does not cover enough of edinburgh so extending the line would be a good use of the revenue from a tourist tax

[Stuart Lyon]

19 hours ago, milky_26 said:

while i dont like the trams and think they have been a massive waste of money. The current network is there and does not cover enough of edinburgh so extending the line would be a good use of the revenue from a tourist tax

It is not a tram network but as you say a single line that loses money every day! The Council swallow the interest on the original loan and the annual maintenance costs so they don't reflect in the vanity tram's annual P&L statement ! Creative accounting. They won't release the hidden figures under Freedom of Information as they claim they are commercially confidential!

[Blackford Hearts]

21 hours ago, hughesie27 said:

I was laughing at you thinking it will cost more in admin fees than money it will generate.

It will be implemented the same way it has been across many other countries and cities. 

Fair comment, maybe I was being a bit sensationalist!!!