Council Tax Expert Alan Murdie Joins TAP Advisory Board

London, 23 June 2026 – Taxpayers Against Poverty (TAP) is delighted to announce the appointment of Alan Murdie, one of the UK's leading experts on Council Tax law, to its Advisory Board. Alan has spent many years advising households, charities and organisations on Council Tax legislation, exemptions and reform.

Alan Murdie (LLB) is a barrister, is a lawyer, consultant and author, specialising in debt, local taxation and welfare, wills and succession, and copyright. He was co-founder of the Poll Tax Legal Group in 1990, head of intellectual property law at the University of West London between 1995-1999, co-founder of the Zacchaeus 2000 Trust in 1996 and its senior lawyer between 2007-2013. He has been editor of the book 'Council Tax Handbook' since 1998 and the 'Fuel Rights Handbook' since 2004, both published by the Child Poverty Action Group. He is author of Questions and Answers on Intellectual Property, co-author of 'Enforcement of Local Taxation', chairman of Nucleus Legal Advice in London since 2004 and Principal of Council Tax Legal Services. He has advised a wide range of organisations, has extensive experience in legal test cases and Parliamentary lobbying, and writes and broadcasts extensively.

His appointment comes as TAP expands its campaign for fundamental tax reform, including replacing Council Tax with a fairer system based on land values and reducing the tax burden on lower and middle-income households.

Welcoming the appointment, Tom Burgess, CEO of Taxpayers Against Poverty, said:

"Alan is one of the country's foremost experts on Council Tax, and we are delighted he has agreed to join our Advisory Board. His knowledge and experience will be invaluable as we continue our campaign to reform one of Britain's most outdated and regressive taxes.

Council Tax has become increasingly disconnected from people's ability to pay. Millions of households are under enormous financial pressure, yet they continue to face a tax system that is widely regarded as unfair and outdated.

Alan also has a long association with TAP’s founder, Reverend Paul Nicolson, whose tireless work exposed the human cost of poverty and inspired the creation of Taxpayers Against Poverty. We are proud to continue that legacy."

Alan Murdie said:

"For many years I worked alongside Paul Nicolson in challenging the injustices created by the current Council Tax system. It remains one of the most regressive taxes in Britain, placing a disproportionate burden on those least able to afford it.

I am pleased to join the Advisory Board of Taxpayers Against Poverty and support its work in promoting practical reforms that make the tax system fairer, reduce financial hardship and help prevent poverty."

TAP has recently launched its Prioritise Poverty Prevention campaign, calling on government to place preventing poverty and financial hardship at the heart of economic policy.

As part of its wider programme of tax reform, TAP is advocating:

·       A phased abolition of Council Tax and its replacement with a fairer property or land value-based system.

·       Lower taxes on work and earned income.

·       Fairer taxation of wealth and capital gains.

·       A tax system that rewards productive investment while reducing poverty and inequality.

The organisation believes reforming Council Tax is not simply about changing one tax, but about creating a system that is fairer, more transparent and better aligned with modern Britain.

Alan's appointment further strengthens TAP's Advisory Board as the organisation develops practical policy proposals aimed at reducing poverty, tackling inequality and improving living standards across the UK.

ENDS

For media enquiries, interviews, or comment: Tom Burgess, CEO, Taxpayers Against PovertyEmail: media@taxpayersagainstpovery.org  Website: www.taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk

About Taxpayers Against Poverty

Taxpayers against Poverty is a UK-based independent advocacy group dedicated to tackling poverty, inequality, and economic injustice TAP seeks to influence national and local policy by promoting practical economic proposals that have a positive effect on reducing poverty and unnecessary financial hardship using a direct approach to decision makers and other influencers.

TAP was founded by the late Rev Paul Nicolson and is led by Tom Burgess, author of From Here to Prosperity, a new political agenda for a sustainable economy and greater social justice, which proposes taxing wealth more and income less. TAP is part of Real Agenda Ltd, a not-for-profit social enterprise bringing together campaigns, research, media and public engagement to tackle poverty, inequality and the barriers preventing people from thriving, this includes Compassion in Politics which seeks to bring more honesty, respect and compassion into political life as well as Progressive Policy Unit (PPU) which develops practical, evidence-based proposals on poverty prevention, economic fairness, taxation, public services and social wellbeing.