Latest news with #AdamHug
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Wealthy homeowners accused of exploiting loophole to dodge 300pc tax raid
A Labour council has launched a crackdown on wealthy homeowners after accusing them of using a loophole to evade a 300pc tax raid on empty properties. Westminster council as much as quadrupled council tax in April in a bid to stop residents leaving houses unoccupied. It also rolled out double taxes for second home owners. But the move has been met with a 'significant increase' in the number of people using loopholes to avoid paying the higher taxes, according to the local authority. It is planning a crackdown by using the Government's anti-fraud database to reveal whether or not residents are falsely claiming key exemptions. Adam Hug, the council's leader, said: 'We have found a significant increase in owners trying to evade the additional costs by reporting the property as either not empty, not a second home, or, most commonly, claiming a single-person discount. 'It is challenging for officers to evidence that the property is indeed being used as a second home, especially if that person's primary residence is outside the borough. For both these issues, we are meeting with the Government's National Fraud Initiative.' The National Fraud Initiative is an electronic database designed to share information for use by private and public sector bodies that can identify potentially fraudulent claims, payments and inconsistencies. The council estimates that there are 34,000 homes in Westminster that are not being used as a primary residence, representing a quarter of its housing stock. This includes some 4,000 registered second homes and 1,300 long-term empty properties, as well as short-term lets used by tourists and private hospital patients. The borough has some of the highest house prices in the country, with properties selling for an average £1.5m last year, according to property website Rightmove. Speaking at a conference held last month by the Empty Homes Network, a pressure group for policy to tackle vacant properties, Mr Hug said Westminster was 'highly attractive to overseas investors' who are 'extremely wealthy' and 'significantly more challenging' to contact. From April, it imposed a 100pc council tax premium on homes that have been empty for up to five years, 200pc for up to 10 years and 300pc for more than a decade. Meanwhile, second home owners are liable for a 100pc council tax premium. Westminster is not the first council to have seen a double council tax raid on second home owners backfire. Analysis reported by The Telegraph shows local authorities will lose £334m to the policy because of a raft of exemptions available to residents. Other boroughs in the capital to have implemented double council tax for second home owners include Hackney, Wandsworth and Kensington and Chelsea. Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor, has even suggested that London second home owners should pay 'much more' than the 100pc premium. Westminster council has previously called for greater powers to take control of empty properties after just six months of being vacant to tackle homelessness in the borough. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Wealthy homeowners accused of exploiting loophole to dodge 300pc tax raid
A Labour council has launched a crackdown on wealthy homeowners after accusing them of using a loophole to evade a 300pc tax raid on empty properties. Westminster council as much as quadrupled council tax in April in a bid to stop residents leaving houses unoccupied. It also rolled out double taxes for second home owners. But the move has been met with a 'significant increase' in the number of people using loopholes to avoid paying the higher taxes, according to the local authority. It is planning a crackdown by using the Government's anti-fraud database to reveal whether or not residents are falsely claiming key exemptions. Adam Hug, the council's leader, said: 'We have found a significant increase in owners trying to evade the additional costs by reporting the property as either not empty, not a second home, or, most commonly, claiming a single-person discount. 'It is challenging for officers to evidence that the property is indeed being used as a second home, especially if that person's primary residence is outside the borough. For both these issues, we are meeting with the Government's National Fraud Initiative.' The National Fraud Initiative is an electronic database designed to share information for use by private and public sector bodies that can identify potentially fraudulent claims, payments and inconsistencies. The council estimates that there are 34,000 homes in Westminster that are not being used as a primary residence, representing a quarter of its housing stock. This includes some 4,000 registered second homes and 1,300 long-term empty properties, as well as short-term lets used by tourists and private hospital patients. The borough has some of the highest house prices in the country, with properties selling for an average £1.5m last year, according to property website Rightmove. Speaking at a conference held last month by the Empty Homes Network, a pressure group for policy to tackle vacant properties, Mr Hug said Westminster was 'highly attractive to overseas investors' who are 'extremely wealthy' and 'significantly more challenging' to contact. From April, it imposed a 100pc council tax premium on homes that have been empty for up to five years, 200pc for up to 10 years and 300pc for more than a decade. Meanwhile, second home owners are liable for a 100pc council tax premium. Westminster is not the first council to have seen a double council tax raid on second home owners backfire. Analysis reported by The Telegraph shows local authorities will lose £334m to the policy because of a raft of exemptions available to residents. Other boroughs in the capital to have implemented double council tax for second home owners include Hackney, Wandsworth and Kensington and Chelsea. Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor, has even suggested that London second home owners should pay 'much more' than the 100pc premium. Westminster council has previously called for greater powers to take control of empty properties after just six months of being vacant to tackle homelessness in the borough.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Wealthy homeowners accused of exploiting loophole to dodge 300pc tax raid
A Labour council has launched a crackdown on wealthy homeowners after accusing them of using a loophole to evade a 300pc tax raid on empty properties. Westminster council as much as quadrupled council tax in April in a bid to stop residents leaving houses unoccupied. It also rolled out double taxes for second home owners. But the move has been met with a 'significant increase' in the number of people using loopholes to avoid paying the higher taxes, according to the local authority. It is planning a crackdown by using the Government's anti-fraud database to reveal whether or not residents are falsely claiming key exemptions. Adam Hug, the council's leader, said: 'We have found a significant increase in owners trying to evade the additional costs by reporting the property as either not empty, not a second home, or, most commonly, claiming a single-person discount. 'It is challenging for officers to evidence that the property is indeed being used as a second home, especially if that person's primary residence is outside the borough. For both these issues, we are meeting with the Government's National Fraud Initiative.' The National Fraud Initiative is an electronic database designed to share information for use by private and public sector bodies that can identify potentially fraudulent claims, payments and inconsistencies. The council estimates that there are 34,000 homes in Westminster that are not being used as a primary residence, representing a quarter of its housing stock. This includes some 4,000 registered second homes and 1,300 long-term empty properties, as well as short-term lets used by tourists and private hospital patients. The borough has some of the highest house prices in the country, with properties selling for an average £1.5m last year, according to property website Rightmove. Speaking at a conference held last month by the Empty Homes Network, a pressure group for policy to tackle vacant properties, Mr Hug said Westminster was 'highly attractive to overseas investors' who are 'extremely wealthy' and 'significantly more challenging' to contact. From April, it imposed a 100pc council tax premium on homes that have been empty for up to five years, 200pc for up to 10 years and 300pc for more than a decade. Meanwhile, second home owners are liable for a 100pc council tax premium. Westminster is not the first council to have seen a double council tax raid on second home owners backfire. Analysis reported by The Telegraph shows local authorities will lose £334m to the policy because of a raft of exemptions available to residents. Other boroughs in the capital to have implemented double council tax for second home owners include Hackney, Wandsworth and Kensington and Chelsea. Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor, has even suggested that London second home owners should pay 'much more' than the 100pc premium. Westminster council has previously called for greater powers to take control of empty properties after just six months of being vacant to tackle homelessness in the borough.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Transport for London: Bus routes changes in central London
Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed it will be restructuring routes of two of its bus services in central London after "careful consideration".These changes are towards the 30, 205 and 27 routes and was driven by a need to make the services more efficient in a public consultation held earlier this will affect trips between Paddington, Marble Arch and Euston, while additional journeys will be added for the bus 27 to "mitigate" the acknowledged the majority of the feedback "did not endorse the proposals", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). The changes will require passengers to switch buses based on their destination - for example, those travelling on the Number 30 from east London who wish to continue west of Euston will now need to transfer to the 205.A total of 1,359 responses were received to the consultation - 1,337 from members of the public and 22 from than half of respondents who clarified their status were local residents with 20% commuters to the key concerns raised included the loss of direct connections and that some journeys may get response to concerns about longer trips, TfL said it has recommended "convenient locations" along the routes where passengers can change buses at the same or adjacent Hug, leader of Westminster City Council, said to LDRS: "We are very disappointed to see these cuts to local bus services that our residents rely on to get around."The bus network is the largest public transport mode in Central London, and these changes will particularly hit shift workers at St Mary's Hospital as well as Underground and rail workers who need to get to Paddington Station."However, we accept that Transport for London's hand has been forced by years of underfunding." At present, the Number 30 runs between Marble Arch and Hackney Wick; 205 between Bow Church and Paddington; and 27 Hammersmith Grove and Chalk Transport for London's consultation document it was stated that while more passengers are using the routes 30 and 205 when compared with 2021, they remain 25% and 15% down on pre-pandemic levels across a typical director of public transport service planning, Geoff Hobbs, said: "These changes are necessary in reflecting the changing usage of routes customers by and will mean more buses can run across both routes."As with all changes, we will continue to monitor the bus network to make sure we deliver a comprehensive public transport offering as well as it being value for money."These changes will be implemented from 21 June.
Scottish Sun
22-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Urgent warning to parents over THOUSANDS of illegal drug-laced sweets including ‘magic mushroom cookies' flooding UK
The shop also contained a secret escape route in the basement CANDY DANGER Urgent warning to parents over THOUSANDS of illegal drug-laced sweets including 'magic mushroom cookies' flooding UK A SHOP on the busiest in the UK has been selling drug-laced sweets - including magic mushroom cookies. Police launched a raid on the shop was launched after a shopper was charged £899 for trying to purchase two packs of sweets. 4 A raid on a West End shop uncovered secret supplies of drugs disguised as sweets Credit: Central News 4 The store had labelled the mushrooms with vague names including Game Over and Magic Dragon Credit: Central News 4 CBD cookies were also seized from the Harry Potter shop next door Credit: Central News The Londonero shop on Oxford Street was selling a variety of drugs disguised as everyday desserts. Investigators from Westminster Council found the American-style candy shop had been selling Magic Dragon cookies - which actually contained magic mushrooms. There were three other boxes of cookies labelled Game Over. When the raid took place on April 25, two shop assistants fled downstairs and escaped using a secret exit. The secret passage was hidden behind a panel in the basement wall which took them back up to street level. However, by moving the panel, they revealed a room which contained £80,000 worth of fake goods. The director of the store, Ahmad Yar Jan, told a court that he was happy for the goods to be destroyed by the council. The Harry Potter shop next door was also found to be selling unlicensed Hashish and White Widow CBD products. An unnamed individual linked to the wizard-themed shop, ran by 5IVESTAR Limited, appeared in court alongside Yar Jan. Many of the products which were seized had no English translation on the box, which sparked allergy fears since their contents was unknown. Sneak peek inside new Oxford Street Ikea After the arrests, Labour leader of Westminster City Council, Adam Hug, said: ''It is rather ironic that a shop calling itself a Harry Potter store appears to have been selling products that claim they would get the user higher than a quidditch player. 'The food products here were part of a raid at two addresses on Oxford Street which have taken thousands of items worth £80,000 off the streets. 'One of these 'magic cookies' products was labelled game over – however the only game over will be for unscrupulous traders who sell illegal goods to the public." The news comes as Westminster Council has announced that reducing the huge number of sweets shops on Oxford Street is a priority. Adam Hug added: 'We have known for a long time that US candy stores rip off customers, but charging £900 for two packets of sweets is a new low, even for the unscrupulous people who run these rackets. 'Our job is to protect people who visit the West End from being exploited and continuing raids and court appearances will ensure life is sour for the rogue US sweet shop trade. 'Hopefully, the fall in the number of US candy and souvenir shops means the tide is going out on this tatty trade.'
