A parliamentary e-petition (754331) calls for an independent review of council tax and stamp duty land tax, citing rising council tax arrears of £8.3 billion and concerns that outdated valuation bases don’t reflect current housing costs or ability to pay, plus objections that stamp duty distorts the market and disadvantages movers.

The petition’s rationale emphasizes criticisms of regressivity in council tax due to outmoded bands and widening wealth gaps, and argues that stamp duty hinders mobility and home ownership for first-time buyers.

The article provides a high-level overview of how council tax and stamp duty work, notes the historic bands, and links to Commons Library research briefings on local government taxation, HVCTS, and stamp duty developments since 2020.

The petition closed on 23 July 2026, gathering 101,190 signatures.

Background context includes analyses and reform proposals from groups such as the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, and campaign groups like Fairer Share advocating a proportional property tax based on updated market values, with related reform ideas from think tanks.

The Government response published on 13 April 2026 states that council tax and stamp duty together raise about £60 billion annually for vital services, and announces a High Value Council Tax Surcharge to be introduced in 2028/29 for properties over £2 million (£2,500) and over £5 million (£7,500), with further details to come at the Spending Review; current bands will remain unchanged.

Council tax is a devolved policy with bands based on 1991 valuations in England and 2003 in Wales, collected by local billing authorities with district-specific rates; stamp duty is a nationwide tax collected by HMRC on property purchases, tiered by price, with reliefs for first-time buyers and surcharges for non-residents or multiple properties.