For decades, British housing taxation has fuelled inequality, distorted housing markets and undermined local government finance. This urgent book makes the case for clear, evidence-based reform.

A multi-disciplinary analysis of the problems generated by Council Tax and stamp duty, this book stresses the challenges in achieving meaningful tax reform while also demonstrating how it can be countered by intelligent public policy, clear communication and the application of deliberative democracy. Reviewing recent imaginative reform proposals, and combining two existing taxes into a proportional property tax, it diagnoses the economic, political and social shortcomings of the current system and sets out realistic options for improvement.

Engaging with lessons from international practice and the UK’s devolved nations, this book shows how change is not only possible but essential for fairness, democratic accountability and sustainable local finance.