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A decision to disband the Tax Advisory Group (TAG), which was established by the Scottish Government to give advice on tax policy, has been criticised as \u201cdeeply worrying\u201d.<\/p>\n
The group was set up three years ago with the aim of benefiting from the shared wisdom of academics, economists and key figures from business and the third sector.<\/p>\n
It was part of Holyrood\u2019s medium-term financial strategy and could count the likes of Institute for Fiscal Studies economist Stuart Adam and Fraser of Allander Institute director Mairi Spowage among its members.<\/p>\n
Following its launch, the plan was to settle into a schedule of four meetings a year \u201cfor the remainder of the Parliamentary term\u201d after the 2024\/25 Budget.<\/p>\n
TAG\u2019s most recent meeting was held in February, however minutes from the gathering published this week revealed this was the last one. <\/p>\n
The Finance Secretary at the timed, Fiona Robison, noted that this would be the final TAG meeting.<\/p>\n
The decision was labelled \u201cdeeply worrying\u201d by the Scottish Conservatives.<\/p>\n
Finance spokesman Craig Hoy said: \u201cJohn Swinney was clearly ignoring the warnings from business leaders and economists that continually hiking taxes kills growth, but now his government have stopped listening to them altogether.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a deeply worrying sign for hard-pressed Scots, who are already being clobbered by sky-high SNP taxes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scottish Labour finance spokesperson Michael Marra\u00a0said: \u201cWhen it comes to crucial tax policy the SNP have had enough of experts. Although in reality, they never bothered listening in the first place.<\/p>\n
\u201cKey tax decisions were taken without any discussion with this group that was assembled at taxpayers\u2019 expense, and the expert members were just waiting for the SNP to seize the chance to kill it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact that the new Cabinet Secretary for Finance had never heard of the group when I asked her about it in Parliament told us where things were headed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not that the SNP do not need expert advice on tax, they just do not want to be constrained by any as they scramble to have hard pushed taxpayers plug the \u00a35bn black hole ministers have created in our public finances.\u201d<\/p>\n
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