The Scottish Greens have said they would end royal tax breaks in Scotland as part of their election pledges to “make the super-rich pay their fair share”.
The party said it was unfair that the “scandal-ridden” monarchy was given “perks” while costs were soaring for regular people.
Co-leader Ross Greer said it was “ridiculous” that the King was legally exempt from paying a range of taxes.
While most of these are reserved to the UK Government, Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT), called stamp duty in England, is fully devolved to the Scottish Government.
Many people pay the tax when buying a house but the King would not because transactions involving the Crown are exempt from LBTT.
The Scottish Greens said they were committed to ending the exemption and “making one of the country’s biggest landowners pay his fair share”.
Mr Greer said: “With costs soaring and people being priced out of everyday essentials, it is ridiculous that so much public money is given to one super-rich and scandal-ridden family based on who their ancestors were.
“The King is one of the richest men in the world and one of the biggest landowners in Scotland.
“He doesn’t need even more perks, and he shouldn’t be given a free pass from paying taxes simply because of the wealthy family he was born into.”
Mr Greer said it was unfair to have “one rule for the elites” and “another for the rest of us”.
He added: “Scotland should not be a nation where the powerful and privileged are exempt from contributing fairly.
“Even those who support having an unelected head of state would surely agree that the King can afford to pay towards our public services.
“The monarchy is an anti-democratic hangover from an earlier era, and one that the Scottish Greens would abolish in a heartbeat.
“Over the last few years the shocking scandals surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in particular have underlined how poorly served we are by them.
“No family should be allowed to exempt itself from following the law, but in so many ways that’s exactly what the Windsors do. It is long past time for the King to start paying his taxes.”
Murdo Fraser, Tory candidate for Perthshire North, described the calls as a “student politics stunt”.
He added: “Ross Greer and his Republican pals should grow up instead of chucking out unserious policies just to play to the gallery.”
The royal communications office advised that all income received by the King from the Duchy of Lancaster is included in his annual tax return.
The office also said the sovereign pays income tax on a voluntary basis at HMRC’s additional rate, as well as capital gains tax on all private income, and that the King is subject to VAT, also paying local rates on a voluntary basis.
