Scotland’s tax authority collected over £630m in Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) and Scottish Landfill Tax (SLfT) for the Scottish Consolidated Fund during 2016-17, an increase of £61m compared to 2015-16.
The combined total of LBTT and SLfT collected since Revenue Scotland began operating also exceeded £1bn.
The figures were revealed in the tax authority’s annual reports and accounts which were published today (Tuesday 26th September).
Revenue Scotland Chairman Dr Keith Nicholson welcomed the figures and said the organisation continued to deliver an effective service for Scotland’s taxpayers. He said: “The total tax collected in 2016-17 shows an increase of over 10% compared to our first operating year, contributing even more to Scotland’s public services.”
“An important milestone was also reached, with the amount of tax collected by Revenue Scotland in its first two years of operating exceeding £1bn. The total transferred to the Scottish Consolidated Fund between 1 April 2015, when operations began, and 31 March 2017 was £1.15bn.”
During the reporting period, Revenue Scotland’s annual operating costs, as a percentage of total tax collected, decreased from 0.9% in 2015-16 to 0.7%. Dr Nicholson said: “Revenue Scotland strives to provide an efficient and effective service to Scotland’s taxpayers. The figures released in our annual reports today highlight that Scotland’s tax authority is an efficient and effective organisation that continues to deliver value for money.”
Notes to Editors
Revenue Scotland is the Non-Ministerial Department responsible for the administration and collection of Scotland’s devolved taxes – currently Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) and Scottish Landfill Tax (SLfT). These taxes came into effect on 1 April 2015, replacing their UK equivalents (Stamp Duty Land Tax and UK Landfill Tax respectively). The organisation was created by the Revenue Scotland and Tax Powers Act 2014 (RSTPA).
A total of £633m of tax was collected in 2016-17, comprising:
| Land and Buildings Transaction Tax | £483,598,000 |
| Scottish Landfill Tax | £149,098,000 |
| Penalties and interest | £342,000 |
| Total | £633,038,000 |
The values above are for tax returns and amendments submitted during 2016-17 and adjusted for the value of LBTT and SLfT returns received during April and May 2017 which relate to the period up to the 31 March 2017.
The £633m total is an increase of £61m (over 10%) compared to 2015-16.
- During the 2016-17 reporting period Revenue Scotland also:
- Increased the number of tax returns submitted online from 98.1% in 2015-16 to 98.8% in 2016-17;
- Reduced average call waiting times from 10.2 seconds in 2015-16 to 6.2 seconds in 2016-17;
- Improved response rates to written communication, with the percentage responded to within 10 days increasing from 95.6% in 2015-16 to 97.9% in 2016-17.
- Increased the amount of tax payments made on time, from 92.6% in 2015-16 to 93.1% in 2016-17.