MSPs vote to keep income tax in Scotland in line with the rest of the UK

Published 11th Feb 2016

Income tax in Scotland will remain in line with the rest of the UK after MSPs at Holyrood voted to set the new Scottish rate for the levy for the first time.

Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats in Scotland have been calling for the rate to be increased by 1p, saying such a move would raise almost £500 million for education and local services.

But MSPs backed Deputy First Minister John Swinney's proposal for the Scottish rate to be set at 10p in the pound for 2016-17, keeping income tax the same on both sides of the border.