The owner of a tattoo studio in Alexandria says they feel "ripped off" after forking out four times the amount of licensing costs than that of anywhere else in Scotland.
Red and Natalie, who run River Styx on Main Street, have hit out at West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) after finding out they were paying more for their license than any other council area in the country.
After renewing their license last year for a grand sum of £2.033.50, a chance meeting with a friend who ran a tattoo business in Glasgow left him shocked after discovering his friend was paying a mere £371.
He said: "I feel ripped off and annoyed that we are forking out this - anybody in West Dunbartonshire would be annoyed.
"I want them [WDC] to explain to me exactly where that licensing money is going. They haven't explained it to me.
"Why is it £2000 and in other councils it's £400?"
Excluding West Dunbartonshire, the price charged for this license ranges between £144 [West Lothian] and £803 [Orkney Islands] across Scotland.
The average price between all authorities, excluding WD, is £449.73.
Facing the hefty bill, Natalie and Red reached out to West Dunbartonshire Council to ask if they offered a payment plan to help them balance their finances.
However, they were told by a council officer that they "didn't have the discretion" to alter the fee or when it is paid.
The couple eventually managed to pay off the fee after borrowing funds from family and friends.
West Dunbartonshire Council say they work on a cost recovery basis, whereas other council areas can subsidise the costs.
Red added: "Why is it so much to cost recover the licence? But it's not the same in Glasgow. Glasgow theoretically would be more, would it not?
"I had to borrow £1000 from my Granddad, and Natalie had to borrow £1000 from her sister. That's how we paid for that.
"We couldn't afford it. We had a bounce-back loan during COVID, which we had to take out because we weren't allowed to work.
"It's been hard. I'm not going to lie."
The council's licensing committee most recently met in October 2024 to discuss the fees.
The committee agreed on the recommendations not to decrease fees in surplus [including the Skin Piercing and Tatto License] and not to increase the fees that were in deficit.
A WDC spokeswoman said: “The council’s licensing function is delivered on a cost-neutral basis.”
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