Loading...
Loading...
29 terms explained in plain English. Every Scottish tax, property, benefits, and finance term you need to know.
Adult Disability Payment (ADP)
Adult Disability Payment replaced PIP in Scotland. It has a fundamentally different assessment — no …
Best Start Grant
Best Start Grant is a Scotland-only payment covering three stages: Pregnancy & Baby (£796.65 first c…
Frank's Law (Free Personal Care)
Frank's Law extended free personal care in Scotland from over-65s to ALL adults who need it, effecti…
Scottish Child Payment
The Scottish Child Payment is £28.20 per week per child under 16 (2026/27), paid to families receivi…
Personal Allowance Taper
The Personal Allowance Taper reduces your £12,570 tax-free allowance by £1 for every £2 you earn abo…
S Tax Code (Scottish Tax Code)
An S tax code (e.g., S1257L) means HMRC identifies you as a Scottish taxpayer. Your employer applies…
Scottish Advanced Rate
The Scottish Advanced Rate is 45% income tax on earnings between £75,001 and £125,140 for 2026/27. E…
Scottish Basic Rate
The Scottish Basic Rate is 20% income tax, applied to taxable income between £16,538 and £29,526 for…
Scottish Higher Rate
The Scottish Higher Rate is 42% income tax on earnings between £43,663 and £75,000 for 2026/27. This…
Scottish Intermediate Rate
The Scottish Intermediate Rate is 21% income tax on earnings between £29,527 and £43,662 for 2026/27…
Scottish Starter Rate
The Scottish Starter Rate is the lowest income tax band in Scotland at 19%, applied to taxable incom…
Scottish Top Rate
The Scottish Top Rate is 48% income tax on all earnings above £125,140 for 2026/27. This is 3% highe…
Common Law Marriage (Scotland)
Common law marriage does not exist in Scotland. It was abolished by the Family Law (Scotland) Act 20…
Prior Rights (Scottish Succession)
Prior rights are the first claim on a deceased person's estate in Scotland — available only to a sur…
Scottish Intestacy Rules
When someone dies without a will in Scotland, the estate is distributed through three layers: prior …
Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS)
The ADS is an 8% surcharge on the full purchase price of any additional residential property in Scot…
Home Report (Scotland)
A Home Report is a mandatory document required for most residential property sales in Scotland. It i…
LBTT (Land and Buildings Transaction Tax)
LBTT is Scotland's property tax, replacing Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) since April 2015. It's adminis…
LIFT Shared Equity Scheme
LIFT (Low-cost Initiative for First-Time Buyers) is Scotland's primary government-backed shared equi…
Missives (Scottish Property)
Missives are the exchange of formal letters between solicitors that creates a legally binding contra…
Offers Over (Scottish Property)
Offers over is Scotland's sealed bid system for selling property. The asking price is set below the …