Council Tax payments - no bill?

Blitzwing85

First post, i moved into my first house with my girlfriend on the 1st June 2009.

I filled in the council tax form and also spoke to them on the phone at the same time about 1 month before i moved in. I had it vacant for 30 days.


However, it's now the end of July and i have not received a bill. Is this normal, and should i expect one soon? Or should i have rang up to confirm the date i moved in (even though i put it on the form) after having it vacant for 30 days.

If i WAS meant to ring up and confirm then obviously i'll just say i've only just moved in now to avoid paying for the last 7 weeks. But if i wasn't then i'd just let it go as long as i can as it's their fault.

Thanks

laney85

Blitzwing85 wrote: »

First post, i moved into my first house with my girlfriend on the 1st June 2009.

I filled in the council tax form and also spoke to them on the phone at the same time about 1 month before i moved in. I had it vacant for 30 days.


However, it's now the end of July and i have not received a bill. Is this normal, and should i expect one soon? Or should i have rang up to confirm the date i moved in (even though i put it on the form) after having it vacant for 30 days.

If i WAS meant to ring up and confirm then obviously i'll just say i've only just moved in now to avoid paying for the last 7 weeks. But if i wasn't then i'd just let it go as long as i can as it's their fault.

Thanks

I would contact them unless you want a huge bill and little time to pay it.

Blitzwing85

Ok then well i guess i should ring up and say i've just moved in so therefore should start paying.

McKneff

You can ask them if you can pay it by DD monthly

Payments are then taken for only 10 months of the year.
I think April to January. Of course it will be different for you this year but will apply next April if you request it.

nikki_angel

So are you saying that you are going to say you only just moved in despite you having confirmed by writing that you moved in the beginning of June? I should tell the truth if I were you. These things have a habit of coming round and biting you on the bum.

Blitzwing85

nikki_angel wrote: »

So are you saying that you are going to say you only just moved in despite you having confirmed by writing that you moved in the beginning of June? I should tell the truth if I were you. These things have a habit of coming round and biting you on the bum.

Well i filled it in in April, and it said 'date moved in' and had no option on it for the date you 'plan' to move in.
Therefore in the date moved in field i put 01/06/09. I then moved in on the 13th June officially.
Since then i've heard nothing from them so i've been assuming they will be sending me a bill...but recently i figured if they were it would have arrived by now.

I never 'confirmed' i'd moved in by writing...i only said that's when i 'planned' to move in. Plans can easily change...

Blitzwing85

McKneff wrote: »

You can ask them if you can pay it by DD monthly

Payments are then taken for only 10 months of the year.
I think April to January. Of course it will be different for you this year but will apply next April if you request it.

Yeah i planned on setting this up when i contacted them.

I was just unsure as to whether they would contact me to initiate a payment that i surely should have paid by now. yet i've not heard a peep from them.

Guess the best thing to do is just speak to them

McKneff

You didnt say when you 'planned' to move in.

You did confirm you had moved in in writing. In your post you said in put the ' moved in' box on 1.6.09. That in itself is confirmation - you told them you moved in on 1st June.
Be careful, be very careful, you have to have a very good memory to be a liar.

Blitzwing85

McKneff wrote: »

You didnt say when you 'planned' to move in.

You did confirm you had moved in in writing. In your post you said in put the ' moved in' box on 1.6.09. That in itself is confirmation - you told them you moved in on 1st June.
Be careful, be very careful, you have to have a very good memory to be a liar.

Yes that is true, however i filled in the form before 01/06/09.
And i specifically asked about this when i rang as i was filling in the form.

The girl said put in the date you 'plan' to move in and you will not be charged until that time as it will be declared vacant.
I never thought much of it after that but it looks like i was meant to contact them after 01/06/09 and let them know the move in did happen.

However, i thought being the persistent people they are that they would file it and review that file at least once a month. Obviously not.

I'll ring and see what the crack is.

lincroft1710

You're liable for CT on a dwelling from the date you become entitled to occupy or own that dwelling, not when you move in. However if the dwelling is unoccupied or substantially unfurnished you will get an exemption from payment for up to 6 months. But bear in mind part or all of this 6 month period may have been used up by previous occupier.

As others have posted always be truthful in dealings with councils about CT.

CIS

A large part of my job is recovering council tax - a large proportion of this is from people who have 'forgotten' the date they moved in or played innocent to not having received a bill and then wondering why they get a large backdated bill to pay.

There's very likely a record of your move in date in the system and if this date is discovered again then you are likely to receive the bill from that date and have to prove otherwise.

As lincroft has already said there are various discount and exemptions which may be applicable but need to own up in order claim them.