You can read Express’ breakdown of the budget when it was first released HERE.
The amendments
Attempt to stop withdrawal of income tax allowance for higher earners
P&R wants to reduce the threshold at which personal income tax allowances are withdrawn from £90,000 to £80,000 as part of tax changes to be voted on by politicians at their early November meeting.
But Deputies John Dyke (L) and Simon Vermeulen (R) want to see no further reductions in the threshold for these allowances, which have been gradually withdrawn from around £139,000 since 2017.
P&R face challenges over property tax plans
They say enhanced taxes shouldn’t be “payable on a building on the basis that the landlord is investing in the property by renovating it and it is not let within the relevant period”.
The time period should also be increased from six to 12 months before penal rates can kick-in: “This extension will give the landlord or agent further time to advertise the property, carry out the necessary checks and draw up a lease.”
A near identical amendment has been submitted by Deputies Peter Roffey and Adrian Gabriel to also extend the non-occupancy limit to a year.
“We presume the purpose of the proposed enhanced rate of TRP on vacant properties is to deter owners from wilfully leaving them empty. But if a property becomes vacant, and requires considerable work during the void period, then six months is not deemed to be a reasonable length of time to complete such work before the penal rate kicks in,” they said.
One of these amendments could be withdrawn since they both seek to achieve the same objective.
Meanwhile, Deputy Roffey and Deputy Aidan Matthews want to stop the large hikes in domestic TRP for several bands of properties to represent an average increase of 10.1%, not 17%.
And Deputies David de Lisle and Liam McKenna are also seeking to reduce domestic TRP rates for all bands, but more so for larger properties, with increased tariffs limited to inflation plus 7.5%.
Micro-breweries and independent distillers “stretched by low-cost” supermarket products
They said: “This matter has been brought to the attention of the Committee for Home Affairs and the Committee for Economic Development by several small businesses starting out in the drink manufacturing trade.
“These businesses believe they could grow and develop if there were lower excise rates in place in respect of the production of low volumes of their products.”
More control on States borrowing and building
Brakes will be applied to borrowing and pressed firmer on projects like the post-16 campus under amendments being proposed to the Budget.
Deputies Gavin St Pier (pictured) and Carl Meerveld are behind the moves to get tighter control in the wake of the recent decisions on which major projects should go ahead and how they will be paid for.
The Assembly favoured the next stage of the hospital project when they approved a cutback list of capital projects that they want to pursue this term.
Deputy Gavin St Pier will lead an amendment to next week’s Budget to try and provide even more clarity on what can and cannot now happen.
Most polluting vehicles targeted in attempt to keep bus fares down
Environment & Infrastructure has proposed the move which will form part of tomorrow’s (7 November) debate.
If passed, a new band will be introduced for first registration duty, so the most polluting diesel vehicles will be charged at £2,000 and non-diesel £2,500 – this compares to £1,110 and £1,500 for the current top banding.
Pictured – President of E&I, Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez.
22% tax rate for income over £80k possible
Two deputies want to raise additional revenue by introducing a “temporary” 22% tax rate for income above £80,000.
Deputies John Gollop (L) and Aidan Matthews (R) said: “This amendment seeks to raise additional revenues through the introduction of a temporary 22% higher rate of personal income tax, with analysis of the options in the future.”
ESC president attempts to re-prioritise the Transforming Education Programme again
The Transforming Education Programme (TEP) could be added back into the Capital Portfolio, following an amendment from ESC’s President.
Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen (pictured) continues to push for the post-16 campus to be built at Les Ozouets, the completion of the transformation of secondary school education and for The Guernsey Insititute to be completed.
The estimated cost of this would be £111milion and, if her amendment is successful, it would be added to the agreed capital investment portfolio.
She also wants the level of contingency agree for the portfolio – which was implemented following an amendment from Deputy Al Brouard – to be reduced from £30million to £20million. This would bring the total cost of the portfolio to £441million.
Deputy “concerned with” inequalities in island’s income tax system
The tax cap on the “super wealthy” could be dropped or phased out if two deputies successfully amend the 2024 Budget.
Deputies Chris Le Tissier (pictured) and David de Lisle want to abolish the tax cap which kicks in after someone pays £150,000 or £300,000 in tax (depending on where their income originates).
Their amendment to the 2024 budget has been split into three options, with the preferred one being to completely abolish the cap.
If this fails, they want to phase out the tax cap over a 5-year period, and failing all else, a third option would increase the tax cap from £150,000 to £250,000 for qualifying income and £300,000 to £500,000 for non-qualifying income.
Pictured top: President of P&R, Deputy Peter Ferbrache (L) and Treasury Lead for P&R, Deputy Mark Helyar (R).