Poll tax

[Magic_Sailor]

All

If you go away for say a 6 month cruise, do you still have to pay poll tax?

Any comments or advice?

Magic

 

[rup]

If you mean community charge (?), then you get a reduced rate for the building being un occupied, thus, if you rent it whilst away, you pay the full rate (or your tennants do)

If you can afford to sail for 6 months, jealousy drives me to demand that you should pay double anyway !!!

Hope this helps

 

[Magic_Sailor]

Being old enough to remember its inception I prefer its real name of Poll Tax.

Cruise isn't definite - needs a lot of planning and risk assessment - I've got to work myself up to taking the leap!

Thanks for your advice

Magic

 

[bedouin]

But it isn't the Poll Tax - that passed into history years ago to be replaced by the current "Council Tax"

 

[Magic_Sailor]

Only because the bastards wanted to disguise it. If you remember you couldn't get on the electoral register unless you paid up.

VTIC - a new acronym - Vey Tongue In Cheek.

Magic

 

[bedouin]

No - it's a totally different thing.

Firstly the poll tax was never connected to the electoral register, that was just a myth. Secondly, the Council Tax is levied on the property itself, is related to the value of the property, and the owner is liable irrespective of who lives there (or indeed whether anyone lives there at all).

As such the council tax is similar to the old rates system (and only marginally fairer).

 

[colvic]

FIRST hand experience and ongoing: Our local council have decided that an intial decision four years ago to allow a reduced rate was wrong and just dropped a bill for quite a considerable sum through the post AND increased direct debit. Have got direct debit increases paid back as they went about it the wrong way, but they are adamant that as it is "sole" residence then we have to pay.

They have wanted to know where post is sent to, which Doctor and Dentist are we registered with, all in order to prove that it is our main residence.

I think you are going to have to keep paying, but nothing like trying.


Phil

 

[Ohdrat]

mm well when I rule the world anyone who is able to cruise for more than 6 months a year will be liable to pay gone cruising tax or take me with them!!!

 

[cynthia]

I'm told by local people who travel extensively in their motor home that not only has the property to be not lived in, but it has to be totally empty of furniture in order to qualify for non-payment over a 6 month period. Their council won't even let the house owners leave their curtains up!

 

[ecudc]

The Poll tax was levied on the number of people in the house. When first dreamt up it caused the peasants revolt. MT forgot that and decided to have a go too which lead to mass outrage, revocation of the poll tax and John Major as the next PM. So we now have council tax which is based on the value of your house (pretty much). I'm reasonably sure that if your house is unocupied/unfurnished you get a 50% discount but if you're renting it out you still have to pay the full wack. You may also have to pay the full wack if your house remains furninshed but you aren't renting it out. Have a search on the internet for your council and they'll have a number for you to contact so you can check.

 

[stubate]

MT

what was wrong with ALL peasants paying tax instead of just a few like me or you paying for some little inner city scroats to idle their life away !!
stu

 

[AndrewB]

Re: MT

They didn't, that was what was wrong with it. Non-payment up to 50% in many inner city areas. Local authorities swamped by the volume of debt chasing. Made honest citizens look like mugs and left local authorities with major loan problems to pay for services.

Bit like the railways today.

 

[ecudc]

Re: MT

and you can see why. The poll tax was hugely unfair as it bore no relation to peoples ability to pay. Those earning 10 grand a year had to pay the same as those earning a million. Much better to charge according to the value of the house.

One thing I remeber from my student days is that because we had such long contracts on the house (1 year) we were liable for the council tax on our rented property, however as we were students we didn't have to pay any so you could get a couple of nice prostgrads in to stay (much neater and less likely to have parties than undergrads). That was a couple of years ago though.

 

[RichardPerou]

If you are coming back you have to pay the full amount. But if a property is in single occupation you only have to pay 75%.

If your water is metered you only pay for what you have.

 

[bedouin]

Re: MT

That doesn't make it unfair.

Poll tax is supposed to cover the services provided by the local council, which tends to be related to the number of people in the house. It doesn't seem "fair" that one old lady living alone in a house should contribute more than 6 adults in a smaller property.

Food is essential for life - but if I go to a supermarket I tend to find that they charge the same prices for everyone, rich or poor. Is that "unfair"?

In general it is not possible to describe any single tax (or benefit) as fair or unfair. It can only be considered in relation to the overall tax and benefit regime within the country.

 

[tcm]

Re: hear hear!

As the very large Sam Brittain of the FT said - the only fair taxes are 0% and 100%.

Personally, I feel that a large proportion of taxation these days is a big con. People are bamboozled into thinking that it's reasonable that tax rates go up because other prices go up. But of course, it's the RATE of tax that goes up, so the tax take in actual money is over 50% higher than ten years ago, over double the inflation rate. Track back even further and it seems that the net gains that private industries have been able to show through efficiencies with automation, computers and so on have failed to be reflected in the public sector. The government are slithering on a feel-bad slope where everyone expects education, health, policing and so on to get worse over the next few years. Not better. Meanwhile the main domestic issues during this parliament is ... foxhunting.

 

[ecudc]

Re: MT

Most council service cost are not strictly related to the number of people in the house. Education (from infant school to degree), police, fire, social housing, library's, museum council staff wages and pensions etc etc depend on so many other things. Some services like police and fire we all hopefully will never use. I will give you that rubbish production and collection is almost directly proportional to the number of people in the house.

A couple of other things to note:

Little granny living buy herself does get 25% off the bill as it is based on 2 people sharing.

According to the link below you have to pay council tax if you live on a boat. There goes my bright idea for avoiding the UK housing market crash.

http://www.richmond.gov.uk/depts/finance/revenues/ctax/ctax_discounts_exemptions.htm

 

[stubate]

strange argument

if you cant afford it you dont have to pay ? really?
it costs just as much to provide a service for a person on 10k a year as for you and me. the logical extension to that argument is that the less well off in our society can go into tesco et al and help themselves and not pay ?
but what happens when everyone says stuff it and doesnt want to generate wealth? or goes to america? the brain drain ? falling tax revenues?
who pays then?
stu

 

[AndrewB]

.. that\'s if you have a residential mooring.

I'd hazard a guess that the vast majority of liveaboards in the UK are not on moorings with a residential licence, and so do not pay council tax. In theory that is illegal and from time to time councils hold purges to check up, but its pretty easy to evade if the boat is in seaworthy condition and can be easily moved.

 

[ponapay]

Further to the above.

I presume you mean Council Tax (Poll tax died with M Thatchers departure).

If your house is empty (even of curtains) then you can claim a 50% reduction from your council for 6 months. Otherwise you pay the full whack.