(c) yournewswire.com
Well, I thought it was blahdy good news at first but, on examination, it looks less so. That was the Daily Express’s indignant headline on Thursday suggesting the Queen was going to be hit with a big one. The land valuation and shooting tax came into law in Scotland last year and letters are going out this week informing landowners how much taxation they will be due. It’ll be between 38p and £1 per acre for land that is used for shooting birds and deer.
Our multi-millionaire Queen has about 70 000 acres so that’d be, at most, £70 000 per year. For the multi-millionaire Duke of Buccleugh it won’t be any more than £240 000. Danish multi-millionaire Anders Holch Povlsen will pay at most £220 000. These are hardly ‘hefty’ or ‘huge’ as the Express reports them. Also, estates worth less than £15 000 will be exempt and the largest estates will get a ‘volume discount.’ We’ll hear soon what the actual tax bills are but it’s not looking too exciting especially when presumably not all of their land is used for shooting and they might be paying as little as 38p per acre.
According to the Express:
‘Supporters of the law say it will throw out the “feudal and ache” system, but critics say it is designed to drive out English landlords.’
Neither Buccleugh nor Povlsen are English. Maybe the Queen is.
In total, more than a million acres of land in Scotland is used to shoot animals for sport, including grouse, deer and pheasant but if these estates are too wee or too big, it looks like they’ll be paying even less than the not-so-hefty bills estimated above.
Footnote: I got the above photograph from this entertaining site:
http://yournewswire.com/queen-elizabeth-shapeshifting-on-live-tv-goes-viral/
Talking-up Scotland 
Queen of England and maybees aye maybees naw Queen of Scots( Edinburgh coronation was a bit odd) is part Bowes Lyon and part Saxe Coburg and Gotha. Not very English more European. I”ll bet someone has a face like a bulldog licking Jackie Bailie aff a thistle when that bill lands on the mat.
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‘a face like a bulldog licking Jackie Bailie aff a thistle’ Brilliant, gave me a laugh. A face that would turn a funeral up a side street? A face like a bag o spanners? etc
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Oversized melted wellie
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My heart bleeds. Her out first, and the rest will run.
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You’re a sensitive soul
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The English Establishment.
The will disappear and will be fair game for blood sports
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Hi all – Heavens above – what a photo!!
John – don’t be too harsh on the tax change – small steps I know – but important nonetheless.
Lord knows I want Indy ASAP – but history teaches me we may still be in quite a protracted waiting game. Should this be the case (and I hope it isn’t) then the ‘salami slice’ project remains vital (regaining every slice of power and influence (however small) to make Scotland a better place for ALL who live here is something to be celebrated and worked up into the next step).
So I am cheering this development on – long and loud. We’ll happily accept a cheque from HMQ when the due date for payment arrives (I’m sure her credit is good).
Ta, Ludo
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Fair enough. Salami slices.
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“Maybe the Queen is” … very good, made me laugh.
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Liz won’t have too many years left. Then Charlie, hardly everone’s darling. Then the Two Princes–proper England supporters both.
I am a republican, not a big deal. I have always thought, once independent, the Royals will gradually lose all relevance here.
But land holding IS important. We should eventually have reasonable laws to govern foreign ownership–same as others.
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If we get a few years with Charlie on the throne he’ll cause their popularity to fall and hopefully end them
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Some national anthem God save their very rich queen.
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And with a verse not used anymore
And like a torrent rush,
rebellious Scots to crush
God save the King
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