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Advice on council tax
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koolkell
Posts: 4 Newbie
Hi there - looking for a bit of help if possible. We're currently living in married quarters but also have our own house elsewhere which is currently unoccupied. All the army stuff that we've read states that we should only be paying 50% council tax on this home. The council are having none of it though and reckon we're only entitled to a 10% discount. This debate has been going back and forth for 18 months now. Does anyone know if we're right or if they are? Thanks for your help!!
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What are these things you have read in the army books? If it is in black and white then you should send a copy to your local council, I would also suggest sending a similar letter to you MP.99.9% of my posts include sarcasm!Touch my bum :money:Tesco - £1000 , Carpet - £20, Barclaycard - £50, HSBC - £50 + Car - £1700SAVED =£0Debts - £28500
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Hi, we too have another house, but we rent it out, but between rentals if the property is empty and unfurnished, we don't pay council tax - our house is in Scotland.0
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Hi there - looking for a bit of help if possible. We're currently living in married quarters but also have our own house elsewhere which is currently unoccupied. All the army stuff that we've read states that we should only be paying 50% council tax on this home. The council are having none of it though and reckon we're only entitled to a 10% discount. This debate has been going back and forth for 18 months now. Does anyone know if we're right or if they are? Thanks for your help!!
I am afraid the council is right. Please go to the AFF website and check all details there.0 -
sportclairebelinda wrote: »I am afraid the council is right. Please go to the AFF website and check all details there.
Council Tax on Second Homes
http://www2.army.mod.uk/aff/housing.htm#tax
"
Council Tax on Second Homes
Service families living in MOD housing in England, Scotland and Wales and paying council tax on their own properties in England and Scotland should automatically receive a 50% reduction in council tax on their own property (if it is not rented out). A number of service families are concerned that they now have to pay 90% of council tax on their second homes, instead of the 50% as set down in legislation under the Statutory Instruments (downloadable from the links given below). Families having problems obtaining this discount should show their local authority the Statutory Instruments, and if still unsuccessful should contact the AFF on 01980 618773 (email [EMAIL="housing@aff.org.uk"]housing@aff.org.uk[/EMAIL]). "99.9% of my posts include sarcasm!Touch my bum :money:Tesco - £1000 , Carpet - £20, Barclaycard - £50, HSBC - £50 + Car - £1700SAVED =£0Debts - £28500 -
Council Tax on Second Homes
http://www2.army.mod.uk/aff/housing.htm#tax
"
Council Tax on Second Homes
Service families living in MOD housing in England, Scotland and Wales and paying council tax on their own properties in England and Scotland should automatically receive a 50% reduction in council tax on their own property (if it is not rented out). A number of service families are concerned that they now have to pay 90% of council tax on their second homes, instead of the 50% as set down in legislation under the Statutory Instruments (downloadable from the links given below). Families having problems obtaining this discount should show their local authority the Statutory Instruments, and if still unsuccessful should contact the AFF on 01980 618773 (email [EMAIL="housing@aff.org.uk"]housing@aff.org.uk[/EMAIL]). "
The trouble is if you are living anywhere else (such as Germany, like us) then this doesn't apply and you still only get the 10% discount.
Apparently it was set up like this because the government didn't want to open the floodgate for business men who are sent to work abroad by their employer to start claiming they have a right to the 50% discount also.
Not quite sure though how the MP's still manage to get away with all their allowances on second homes.
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To me the rules are quite clear and the AFF web-site supports what I beleive to be the case.
If your second property is empty but furnished you will only pay 50% council tax. If it is also unfurnished you should pay nothing for the first 6 months and then 50% thereater until it is occupied again.0 -
But when living in Germany do you pay council tax towards your German quarters? If not then seems fair to me. If yes, then they should look into that.
Dont know what sportclairebelinda was on about though, she said the council was right yet advised to look at AFF site to confirm this, I checke dit out on KoolKells behalf and found the bit where it shows you are entitled!99.9% of my posts include sarcasm!Touch my bum :money:Tesco - £1000 , Carpet - £20, Barclaycard - £50, HSBC - £50 + Car - £1700SAVED =£0Debts - £28500 -
But when living in Germany do you pay council tax towards your German quarters? If not then seems fair to me. If yes, then they should look into that.
Dont know what sportclairebelinda was on about though, she said the council was right yet advised to look at AFF site to confirm this, I checke dit out on KoolKells behalf and found the bit where it shows you are entitled!
We actually pay CILOCT (Charges In Lieu Of Council Tax). Our quarter is a 3 bed flat on an estate nicknamed as "The Bronx". We have a weekly bin collection and monthly recycling collection, we have no street lighting and the police turn a blind eye to the drug dealing going on in the estate by the Turkish/Kurdish immigrants we are having to share the estate with. It is a filthy, horrendous place to bring up children and we are so disgusted with the standards here that we feel we have no option but to look at private housing out here.
For this we pay £98 per mth CILOCT and that is 12 months of the year which equates to the same in council tax that we pay on our 3 bed semi house in a nice town in Suffolk.
I have also checked with AFF and what you quoted before Marker is correct so I can only assume that koolkell may be experiencing problems due to the fact that they are in service accommodation outside England, Wales or Scotland or their property is in Wales which does not count.0 -
I have also checked with AFF and what you quoted before Marker is correct so I can only assume that koolkell may be experiencing problems due to the fact that they are in service accommodation outside England, Wales or Scotland or their property is in Wales which does not count.
Any idea why Wales isnt covered, thats a bit welshits isnt it 99.9% of my posts include sarcasm!Touch my bum :money:Tesco - £1000 , Carpet - £20, Barclaycard - £50, HSBC - £50 + Car - £1700SAVED =£0Debts - £28500
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