Scottish independence reports: Fiscal policy

  • Published
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  • Scottish independence: The fiscal context, external (Institute for Fiscal Studies) (19 November, 2012) - The institute said that, including a geographical share of oil and gas income, Scottish tax revenue would in recent years have been high enough to slightly more than offset the higher levels of public spending - but it warned an independent Scotland would face a bigger fiscal adjustment than the rest of the UK as oil and gas reserves fell.

  • Country and Regional Analysis 2013, external (UK government) - (21 November, 2013) The Treasury said average spending per head across the UK was £8,788, with the figure breaking down to £10,152 in Scotland, £8,529 in England, £10,876 in Northern Ireland and £9,709 in Wales.

  • Scotland analysis: Macroeconomic and fiscal performance, external (UK government) (3 September 2013) - The UK government argued that Scottish independence could weaken economic integration and might see the end of business networks and trigger a "border effect", where the situation could vary between two countries despite there being no physical border.

  • Scottish independence: The Fiscal Context, external (Institute for Fiscal Studies) (4 November 2013) - The institute said independence would allow Scotland to plough its own fiscal furrow, but said income from the North Sea may not be sustainable in the long-run, given the volatile and diminishing nature of the sector.

  • Fiscal sustainability of an independent Scotland, external (Institute for Fiscal Studies) (18 November 2013) - The Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank said an independent Scotland would face a fiscal gap of of 1.9% of national income, compared to 0.8% for the UK, and would need to cut spending or increase taxes to be sustainable in the long term.