GRRRRRR how frustrating, just rang up the local council tax office for our property in the UK to let them know that we completed in June but won't be moving in till next year to be told that the builders used the exemption and we have to pay the full rate!!!!!

Wonder why that was - new builds don't usually get noticed by councils straight away - perhaps the council are really on the ball?  You should get discount for unfurnished though.

Perhaps its the climate :-(

es i am sure you are right, we owned a buy to let flat previously and the local council were great, they allowed us to pay 50%....the woman I spoke to earlier though sounded a bit like a jobsworth :-o

> a jobsworth

haven't heard that expression in years :)

Lol - I know, its not even an expression I ever use but am feeling annoyed and a bit hormonal!!!

;-)

> haven't heard that expression in years

Just shows your luck!  I hear it all the time - from my husband mostly when he has just got off the phone from trying to sort out this and that. 

Didn't Esther Rantsen have a Jobsworth Award on That's Life? That brings back memories!

Just opening this thread for a bit more advice.

We have been told that we have to pay full council tax with no discount straight away, despite the fact that the property is unfurnished and empty......the twist is that if me and the children lived in it we would have a 25% discount ?????

The reason we would get a discount is that we would be using less of the services that the council tax pays for....but if we don't use any of their services then we pay the full amount????

We previously owned a flat in the Uk and the council for that area were fab and we only ever paid 50% council tax due to it being empty!!

I think you can get out of paying council tax on an unfurnished and empty place for a set period of time - might be six months.  But didn't I read somewhere that you said the builders had already claimed this exemption?  Might be worth double checking on that point.  As for the 25% discount, this doesn't have anything to do with how much of the council services you use as this doesn't come into the equation with council tax.  The discount is because there is only one adult in the household.

Was the other flat you mentioned a second home cos if so, councils did used to give a discounted council tax for these but I don't think it is allowed now.

We have lived out here in the Channel Island for 5 years and only sold our flat in March this year and we were still paying council tax (50%) then. We have printed all the relevent documents that say if the property is empty you are entitled to a discount of up to 50% and if it is a second home or holiday home they "have" to give you a 50% reduction - although I assume this is directed at people already paying council tax in the UK on another property.

We have no problem paying our dues etc but to pay for services we won't be using is a rip-off at least. My husband has even spoken to the local councillor who actually agrees with us but wants us to go to the head of the council tax dept before she has to intervene.....complete madness!!!

My husband actually has the name of the person he spoke to on the 22nd who told him that the exemption for 6 months would apply as we were new owners (a different person to the jobsworth I spoke to) and they have just said "sorry you were told the wrong information, its a training issue"!!!!

> if it is a second home or holiday home they "have" to give you a 50% reduction

Not any more, a council have now been given the right to charge more if they wish.  We currently pay 90% .  I don't mind paying for services I barely use but I wish I had a 90% vote in the local elections! :-D

I think the only advice is to go onto the local council's website and get the exemption/discount information on there if you haven't already done so - at least that way, you should get accurate information then rather than depending on individuals on the phone.

This is what my local council's website says:  The basis of the Council Tax charge is that, in a property occupied by two adult residents, half the Tax relates to the property and half to the people.  Therefore, if there is only one adult resident in occupation a 25% discount may be allowed.  If there are no adult residents and the property is empty, a 100% charge will be payable after any exempt period ends unless the property is furnished when a 90% charge will apply.

It is not a direct payment for services and is therefore payable whether or not those services are used

> Not any more, a council have now been given the right to charge more if they wish.  We currently pay 90% .  I don't mind paying for services I barely use but I wish I had a 90% vote in the local elections! :-D

Is there somewhere I can find out when this new rule came into place as the government website still states what I quoted and so does the local council website (although it wouldn't suprise me if someone hadn't updated the online files lol)

In the next 6 motnhs we won't be able to use the property at all so no services will be used, all we do is ensure that my parents visit once a week to check on the house and we are having an alarm fitted. I can't believe it can differ so much council to council :-(

I agree with your comment about voting :-)

Isabel - I hope you don't mind me asking but the 90% you pay is that for a second home in the UK?

This might be of help.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/YourlocalcouncilandCouncilTax/CouncilTax/DG_10037383

Thanks Annie, thats the website I got the information from unfortunately....its all very confusing, its also not very nice to just be told the wrong information then no-one even had the courtesy to ring us and say they had got it wrong and would be sending us a bill they just sent the bill :-(

> Isabel - I hope you don't mind me asking but the 90% you pay is that for a second home in the UK?

Yes, but my first home is in the UK also so rules could be completely different to non residents.

> Yes, but my first home is in the UK also so rules could be completely different to non residents.

I appreciate that. the reason I asked was that I think if you are already paying council tax in the UK at the full rate then its really poor to also ask you for 90%

Yes I think so too! :-D   To be fair to the councils that have implimented this, they claim that as they have a large proportion of second homes it was difficult to maintain services without an increase.

You would think though that for something like council tax there would be 1 rule for all councils to follow, oh well just add it the pile of bills lol

No, I can see why the Government gave power over this to individual councils because firstly they have made a stand on devolving more power locally and secondly because different councils have different balances to make concerning the number of second homes they might have in their area.

Who said kicking up a stink and going to the top doesn't work ;-)