Council Tax query

[Matt D]

Right, I know that full time students are exempt from Council Tax, so if a house if solely populated by students, there is no bill to pay.


But what about if you happen to be the only working person in a shared rented house where all the other tennants are students?


Are you stuck with the *entire* council tax bill, as all the other tennants are exempt?


Or can you get some sort of discount? (preferably a decent sized one!)


I've tried a quick google, & found the official site for the Valuation Office ( http://www.voa.gov.uk/council_tax/ ), but it seems lacking in the info I want.


I found some other sites, but a quick read through didn't seem to answer my question. All I could find was stuff about students themselves being exempt, & stuff about council tax benefit for people who are on low incomes.


Anyone here know?

[Bifta]

Originally Posted by Matt D

Right, I know that full time students are exempt from Council Tax, so if a house if solely populated by students, there is no bill to pay.


But what about if you happen to be the only working person in a shared rented house where all the other tennants are students?


Are you stuck with the *entire* council tax bill, as all the other tennants are exempt?


Or can you get some sort of discount? (preferably a decent sized one!)


I've tried a quick google, & found the official site for the Valuation Office ( http://www.voa.gov.uk/council_tax/ ), but it seems lacking in the info I want.


I found some other sites, but a quick read through didn't seem to answer my question. All I could find was stuff about students themselves being exempt, & stuff about council tax benefit for people who are on low incomes.


Anyone here know?

I'm not sure myself, but whatever you do, if you end up having to phone the council to ask, make sure you don't give them your address.

[nffc]

Depends on the tenancy agreement I would imagine- if it's a shared agreement then it's treated as a whole, and if it's separate then you're all renting different parts of the house. Have a look- although I'm not sure there could be probably some pro rata element in it.

[Nikko]

As the sole taxable occupant, you qualify for a 25% reduction on the whole house rateable bill.

Very fair indeed - thats what I have to pay.

I did ask for a 50% bigger wheelie bin, as the only service I use is refuse collection, but they failed to follow the irony of my logic.

[Matt D]

Originally Posted by nffc

Depends on the tenancy agreement I would imagine- if it's a shared agreement then it's treated as a whole, and if it's separate then you're all renting different parts of the house. Have a look- although I'm not sure there could be probably some pro rata element in it.

It's shared, so the contract treats the house as a whole, rather than having separate agreements for each room.


by the way.... this situation hasn't happened yet (& hopefully won't).....three of my housemates are moving out (one to China to travel, one to Italy to do a TEFL thing, one to London to do a PGCE), so I need to find more people to share with. I'm going to advertise for non-students, but wanted to check this out just in case I end up having to have students share with me instead...

[Nikko]

If you have non-exempt sharers, its best to divide a part share of the total and include this in the fixed rent agreement.

[Matt D]

Originally Posted by Nikko

As the sole taxable occupant, you qualify for a 25% reduction on the whole house rateable bill.

Very fair indeed - thats what I have to pay.

I did ask for a 50% bigger wheelie bin, as the only service I use is refuse collection, but they failed to follow the irony of my logic.

Thanks for the info

I assume this has to be applied for?

[Nikko]

Originally Posted by Matt D

Thanks for the info

I assume this has to be applied for?

Yes - at some point they will send you a census type form on which you state you are the only elegible person, whereupon they will send you a form specifically to state the same thing, followed by a further form in the form of a statement confirming the previous 2 statements.

You then only have to pay half as much again as half of a couple sharing the same property.

Good innit?

[Matt D]

Lots of forms...


I think I'll just try & make sure (& hope) I find some decent non-students to move in...



But now I know I can get a discount if I do get stuck with students


Cheers, Nikko

[Marge]

Originally Posted by Nikko

Yes - at some point they will send you a census type form on which you state you are the only elegible person, whereupon they will send you a form specifically to state the same thing, followed by a further form in the form of a statement confirming the previous 2 statements.

You then only have to pay half as much again as half of a couple sharing the same property.

Good innit?

It's like the council can't quite believe you live on your own, one day they'll come with a mini lie detector test that you have to take and send back

[Nikko]

Originally Posted by Debsy42

It's like the council can't quite believe you live on your own, one day they'll come with a mini lie detector test that you have to take and send back

Obviously in our cases they find it incredible we are not taken

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by Debsy42

It's like the council can't quite believe you live on your own, one day they'll come with a mini lie detector test that you have to take and send back

I filled in the form and then got another one a few months later, asking exactly the same things again!

I have been paying the council tax, all the bills in fact for the past 6-7 years at my address. It was my grandfathers house but he moved out towards the end of last year. I phoned the council when we got the council tax demand and explained he no longer lived here and that I had been paying it all the long anyway. I asked if they could just start the new year in my name!

No problem they said My grandfather got a demand for £4.10 from them, they were trying to charge us both for the day of changeover.
The council also gave me grief about his new address, they demanded to know where he had moved too. I said sorry I have no idea where the previous occupant is, and they said but its your grandfather, I said so what I wouldn't be able to tell you if I bought the house off a complete stranger.

I couldn't understand why they wanted to make such a fuss about the previous occupier, if the bill was being paid what was their problem. I had no problem with changing over Gas, Electric, Water and BT Telephone. The only ones I had a problem with were ntl and the council, all the others just accepted teh information cos after all they wouldn't get paiud if they didn't.

[Marge]

Originally Posted by Nikko

Obviously in our cases they find it incredible we are not taken

Nikko, guess what I got in the post today

[nffc]

Originally Posted by Debsy42

Nikko, guess what I got in the post today

Like the £250 penalty bit- it's nowhere near what you'd save if you didn't declare it.

Who invents these rules- if you get a parking ticket the fine's £20 here iirc, it's £2 for 2 hrs (street) parking, more in the multi-storeys. So to park illegally 10 times, you've saved enough for your ticket. In other words, as long as you get caught <10% it's more economical to park illegally and run the risk of getting caught.

Not that I advocate breaking the law.

[Nikko]

Originally Posted by Debsy42

Nikko, guess what I got in the post today

Why am I not surprised?

Most of my snail mail post comprises of demands for the full amount of the tax, requests and reminders for the discount, forms to state occupiers for the past/current/forthcoming electoral register, or variations on any/all of the above.

If I write to them, its ignored. If I phone up, I get transferrred, then it rings for a spell and cuts off.

If I email them, it gets ignored.

If I go to the Offices, then 'due to unforseen staff shortages & the holiday period' the Office is closed.

I will do what I always do - wait for the Summons and take all the documentation to the nice Magistrate who will rule that the Authority are vexatious, inefficient & irksome. Last year they ruled that in the event of the same situation arising, they would rule for 'no further demands to be made to my address'.

Roll on September.