ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the main participants in taxation and what they do and outlines the history of property taxation. It explains the way in which the taxes become law and aims to distinguish tax planning and evasion and avoidance. The chapter explores how local taxation is formulated and considers the future of property taxation. Taxation attracts two main groups of professionals, those in national and local government and those in the private sector. The principal themes for national taxes in the UK have been income taxation, death duties, capital gains taxes, stamp duties, development land taxation and finally environmental taxation. Much of the money used by local government in supplying goods and services comes from central government in the form of grants. In March 2004, a debate on a return of the taxation of development value was initiated by the Barker report on housing supply.
