Ecumenical campaign calls for fair tax system

Church Action For Tax Justice is an ecumenical campaign which highlights how our national and global tax systems are unfair. It also suggests how they could be redesigned to achieve a fairer, more just, outcome for all.

The campaign is proposing that:

Income should be taxed equally - combine income tax, National Insurance and capital gains tax into a single progressive tax with a single allowance.

The reform of council tax - replacing it either with a proportionate property tax or a land value tax.

Wealth to be taxed effectively - a net wealth tax could exclude pensions and people's main homes, but tax wealth above a threshold of £one million.

An end to tax dodging - tighten the legislation to close the loopholes and in particular properly resource HMRC and Companies House so they are able to enforce those rules.

Fairer global tax rules - prioritise the needs of lower income countries in the global tax negotiations that are taking place.

As Dr Rowan Williams said: "A society's level of progressive and redistributive taxation should be a matter of pride, not anxiety.

To read the FAIR TAX NOW report and to find a sample letter to send to your MP see: www.catj.org.uk/fairtaxnow.html