ISA and inland revenue

magali

I apply for a mini cash ISA in Halifax and just received a letter asking me if all my details (adress, name,NIN...) were correct before to send it to the inland revenue.
The problem is that at the moment i live with my boyfriend at his mum and we do not pay rent nor council tax (she is a pensionner in her own), we are trying to save for a mortgage next year.
If i give this adress will they be able to make the connection and tell us to pay rent and council tax?

isasmurf

By law you must give your NINO when opening an ISA. I think you must also give the correct address, otherwise that might be considered identity fraud(?) and anyway how are Halifax meant to communicate with you if they have the wrong address! Halifax must pass details of your ISA to HMRC.

It is not HMRC's responsibility to tell you to pay rent. This is an agreement between you and your boyfriend's mother - there is no law saying you must pay rent. Council tax is not the responsibility of HMRC either, and is household based so it doesn't matter how many people live there as long as it is paid your council won't come after you (as long as single person discount is being claimed).

innovate

Also consider when you want to apply for your mortgage next year, you stand better chances to go through the credit check if you are on the Electoral Roll. Once you are on it, the Council has data about you, and they may well then (if not before) ask uncomfortable questions about Council Tax payments.

Don't risk a fine that could be higher than the savings you can make, and don't jeopardise your mortgage application.

Robert_Sterling_3

If his mother purports to live alone and claims a 25% Council Tax reduction whist at the same time two persons over the age of 18 and not full time students live there too then she should tell the council and pay the appropriate council tax.
Whether this is the case or not you and your boyfriend are lucky to have free accomodation while you savbe up for a place of your own and his mother has company.
The additional council tax would only be about a fiver a week. The free accomodation for you and the company for his mother would be worth a lot more than that.