Pressure is growing for Scotland’s Council Tax system to be replaced after 82% of respondents to a Scottish Government consultation backed reform.

The Scottish Greens say the result provides a clear mandate for change and are calling on the Scottish Government to begin work on replacing the current system.

Council Tax remains based on property values from 1991, when the system was introduced as the replacement for the Poll Tax.

That means homes across Scotland are still placed into Council Tax bands according to valuations made more than three decades ago.

The Greens argue this has created a system in which many lower income households pay disproportionately more while people living in significantly more valuable properties can pay comparatively less.

Changes have been made in recent years, including higher charges for some of Scotland’s most expensive properties and increased Council Tax on second and holiday homes.

Those measures have generated additional money for local services while increased charges on second homes have also been used as part of efforts to address housing pressures in rural and island communities.

But the Greens say adjustments to the existing system are no longer enough and want Council Tax replaced entirely with a modern form of property taxation.

Scottish Greens co leader Ross Greer said:

“The results could not be clearer, people want to see the Scottish Government deliver the Greens’ proposed reform of the unfair Council Tax.

“It is absurd to stick with a system where most people are paying the wrong tax bill.

“This has left many lower income households paying too much, while those in larger homes pay far, far less than they should.

“And it’s all because the properties values the Council Tax is based on haven’t been updated since before I was born.

“The best thing we could do is scrap the council tax system entirely and replace it with a fairer system.

“That will take time, so the work needs to start now. It is already decades overdue.”

The future of Council Tax has been a longstanding political issue at Holyrood, with the SNP having pledged to scrap the system when it first entered government in 2007.

Scottish Greens councillor for Glasgow Jon Molyneux said the consultation had now added public support to calls already coming from councils and trade unions.

He said:

“There is a clear mandate for a modern system of property tax, that is much fairer on those who pay it and delivers much needed investment for local services.

“The Scottish Government says it wants broad consensus before making any major changes but while that may be desirable, it is not necessary.

“All that is needed is a progressive majority of MSPs and the political courage to see change through.”

With a Council Tax Bill already planned during the current session of the Scottish Parliament, the consultation result is likely to intensify pressure over whether reform means further changes to the existing system or finally replacing it altogether.