The Scottish Greens have set out proposals to remove tax exemptions and privileges enjoyed by the monarchy in Scotland, arguing that the current system allows one of the country’s wealthiest landowners to avoid paying a fair share.

The plans form part of a wider push by the party to address inequality and increase contributions from the highest earners, with a specific focus on devolved taxes.

At the centre of the proposal is Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, which applies to property purchases in Scotland and is fully controlled by the Scottish Parliament.

Under current arrangements, the King is exempt from paying this tax when acquiring property in Scotland, a position that does not apply to ordinary buyers.

The Scottish Greens say this exemption should be removed, bringing the monarch into line with the same rules that apply to everyone else.

The issue has gained renewed attention as households across Scotland continue to face rising costs, with pressure growing on governments to ensure fairness in how wealth and taxation are handled.

Campaign group Republic has estimated the overall cost of the monarchy to Scotland at around £35 million each year, a figure often cited in debates over public spending and value.

Scottish Greens co leader Ross Greer said:

“With costs soaring and people being priced out of everyday essentials, it is ridiculous that so much public money is given to one super rich and scandal ridden family based on who their ancestors were.

“The King is one of the richest men in the world and one of the biggest landowners in Scotland.

“He doesn’t need even more perks, and he shouldn’t be given a free pass from paying taxes simply because of the wealthy family he was born into.

“We can’t have one rule for elites and another for the rest of us.

“Scotland should not be a nation where the powerful and privileged are exempt from contributing fairly.

“Even those who support having an unelected head of state would surely agree that the King can afford to pay towards our public services.

“The monarchy is an anti democratic hangover from an earlier era, and one that the Scottish Greens would abolish in a heartbeat.

“Over the last few years the shocking scandals surrounding Andrew Mountbatten Windsor in particular have underlined how poorly served we are by them.

“No family should be allowed to exempt itself from following the law, but in so many ways that’s exactly what the Windsors do.

“It is long past time for the King to start paying his taxes.”

While most taxes affecting the monarchy remain reserved to the UK Government, the Greens argue that action can and should be taken in areas where powers are devolved.

The proposal is likely to add to ongoing debate around taxation, fairness and the role of inherited privilege in modern Scotland.