John Cartmell wrote:
My poll tax was much less than my rates - because the rate revaluation had
been put off and put off and put off. ;-(

Your poll tax was much lower than your rates, because you were paying
only for the services which you utilised. Central government was finding
the rest of the money by controlling public expenditure. At the present
time, Central government is pushing government expenditure onto the
local authorities, hence causing the massive (66% IIRC) increases in
council tax. The proposed revaluation exercise now mooted is purely
another way of increasing tax revenue(20% AIUI) without raising income
tax. However, with the slow down in high street spending( Down again in
today's report) and real unemployment now rising as a result of high oil
prices, the chickens are coming home to roost. Tax revenue may actually
be still rising in the retail sector as say 60% of petrol costs are tax
compared to 17.5% on the high street. However when people have no job,
they, to a first approximation, don't buy petrol!

Regards
Capitol