Council Tax

[EdWingfield]

I'm told by my Local Authority I must pay council tax on my house even though I will not be living there. I will be living on a boat and moving about. I've told them the house will be closed down. They say it is my main address.

Any thoughts people?

 

[Talulah]

https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-exemptions

4.If this is your main home and you’re left with no-one who counts as an adult, your bill will be reduced by 50% - second homes and empty properties have different rules.

https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/second-homes-and-empty-properties
Empty properties
There’s no Council Tax to pay on empty and unfurnished homes for up to 6 months. After this, they may qualify for a discount of up to 50%, depending on your council. It’s up to your council to decide how much discount they give.

 

[Lodesman77]

I'm told by my Local Authority I must pay council tax on my house even though I will not be living there. I will be living on a boat and moving about. I've told them the house will be closed down. They say it is my main address.

Any thoughts people?

If you rent it out then the tennant is the occupier and has to pay the council tax.

.

 

[Mistroma]

https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-exemptions

4.If this is your main home and you’re left with no-one who counts as an adult, your bill will be reduced by 50% - second homes and empty properties have different rules.

https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/second-homes-and-empty-properties
Empty properties
There’s no Council Tax to pay on empty and unfurnished homes for up to 6 months. After this, they may qualify for a discount of up to 50%, depending on your council. It’s up to your council to decide how much discount they give.

Sounds similar to Scotland. Pretty certain that my mother-in-law paid 50% as she lived alone. When she died the rate was going to go up tp 75% as an unoccupied property after a reasonable period had elasped. We sold the house before that happened.

I'm pretty certain that I heard a similar story from someone in England. He lived by himself and was going to be living somewhere else for a year. So he thought that he'd save some money by telling the Council that the property would be empty. Astonished to find that he would pay half as much again to do that.

It seems really stupid so I wonder if anyone else can confirm.

A friend house sits for use for 6-7 months so it doesn't affect us just now.

 

[syvictoria]

Rules do seem to vary from council to council, and so I think really the only answer is to check your local council's website to ensure that you are being advised correctly by the person at the council office/on the telephone.

But... beware of things like this:

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/more_th...ht_back_into_use_by_norfolk_council_1_1478512

We had a property that was empty for a while due to problems with a sale, and Broadland hounded us! I'm not sure exactly how they 'enforce' and what alternatives the owner has if their council decides to take action... Fortunately we sorted our problems out before it got that far.

 

[RobbieW]

https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/second-homes-and-empty-properties
Empty properties
There’s no Council Tax to pay on empty and unfurnished homes for up to 6 months. After this, they may qualify for a discount of up to 50%, depending on your council. It’s up to your council to decide how much discount they give.

Curious about this as I have letter from Eastleigh borough saying the 6 month empty rate is no longer valid. Eastleigh say that from 1/4 (yes, I know) I'm liable for the full rate if it remains empty (trying to re-let or sell). Eastliegh say that this change is due to a change in govt rules and the 6 month grace period no longer applies. So either Eastliegh or the gov.uk site are incorrect.

 

[LadyInBed]

So either Eastliegh or the gov.uk site are incorrect.

More likely to be he gov.uk site, I seem to remember that some changes were made in the 'Autumn Statement'

 

[ukmctc]

I'm told by my Local Authority I must pay council tax on my house even though I will not be living there. I will be living on a boat and moving about. I've told them the house will be closed down. They say it is my main address.

Any thoughts people?

make your boat your main home, or open a mailbox address as your main home, no tax, make your home address your second home or rent it out.
And yes your drivers licence and other important docs can be registered at your mail box, I do.

 

[bedouin]

As a word of warning - if your house ceases to be your main home for a significant period of time then you will become liable to capital gains tax on some of the profits when you sell. Anyway it does not seem sensible to keep a house standing empty for a long period while you live on the boat, surely renting it out is a better option?

 

[ukmctc]

Sell it!