What is it?

Council Tax is a chrge set by local authorities to help pay for certain public services, such as libaries, schools and police. It is based upon the value of the property in which you live. The level of the charge may be reduced depending upon the number of adults living in the property and their circumstances. A person's liability to pay will normalle be based upon residence in the property, but sometimes it will be the responsibility of non-resident owner.


 

Who is paying?

This should always be mentioned in the contract. In practice, a tenant is responsible for paying the tax. The landlord who pays the tax is an exception. If the owner of the property, while signing the contract, does not obligate us to pay CT, it might suggest that such property belongs to the local Council and he  rents  it illegally. In the case of renting an individual room or bed (bed sit), CT usually is included in the price. Although, before signing any contract, make sure you check it.

Who does not need to pay Council Tax

People eligible for a reduction:

1.  Students,  and student’s flat mates if they are fulfilling the following conditions.
2. People with low earnings, living in the UK for at least 2 years, can claim Council Tax Benefit…
3. Disabled people.
4. You can claim 25%   exemption if you are the sole occupant of the flat. To obtain it send a copy of your contract to the local council.

 If you think you may be entitled to any form of reduction but   already paid 100% of the bill, do not worry, nothing has been lost yet. Along with the appropriate documents, which entitle you to reductions, you should prepare a contract with the landlord and the received bill. Send these to the Council, and wait patiently for an answer.

The documents which entitle you to reductions in most of the cases will be reviewed

How much of council tax will you have to pay?

Each property is valued for council tax  by a  local council and then assigned to one of eight groups A,B...H. Evaluation depends on  a size and a  location of  the property. The more expensive your place is, the higher tax you pay. Although up to a month delay is possible, make sure that you pay it on time. Otherwise the Council will ask you to pay the rest of the bill at once.

A Up to Ł40,000           Council tax: Ł794.43
B Ł40,000 - Ł52,000,     Council tax: Ł926.83
C Ł52,000 - Ł68,000,     Council  tax: Ł1,059.24
D Ł68,000 - Ł88,000,     Council  tax: Ł1,191.64
E Ł88,000 - Ł120,000,    Council  tax: Ł1,456.45
F Ł120,000 - Ł160,000,  Council  tax: Ł1,721.26
G Ł160,000 - Ł320,000,  Council  tax: Ł1,986.07
H More than Ł320,000,   Council  tax: Ł2,383.28

Registration

After signing the contract your landlord or agency will register you in the council of the area, where the value of tax for the relevant property will be calculated. They will post you the bill to be paid with the details of yours on it.

Forms of payment

There are many ways to pay CT. You can pay via telephone, Internet, at the Post Office or you can pay by Direct Debit. Look at the back of your bill for more information.

What happens if you are not paying it?

We do not recommend it. Results may be serious for occupants. First, when you fail to pay your monthly installment, you will be asked to pay everything, the whole yearly amount, at once. If you ignore it you will be called to your local Court. If you still refuse to pay, bailiff will visit you and ask you to pay the money owed plus the court expenses and the bailiff’s fee (up to £50 a visit). Next time, bailiff is going to be assisted by Police Officer. Bailiff has now a full right to enter your property (even when there is nobody inside) and seize your possessions on account of your outstanding debt.

The Council can also ask the court for a warrant in order to make deductions directly from your salary.