Just moved house - Council Tax query

genuineplacebo

Hi,

We completed on our new house purchase on Wednesday and I have just received our council tax notification.

The bill states that the amount for the year is £1340.37 which as it is paid over 10 months would be £134 a month.

However, it states - Charge for period 08-DEC-2010 to 31-Mar-2011 £418.64. First instalment £209.64, 1 other instalment £209.

Can anyone clarify why it is so much more?

Thanks,

bryanb

Nothing to pay in Feb or Mar

clutton_2

although the council tax is normally paid over 10 months, it is a tax for a whole year. So the £418.64 is for early December to the end of March (nearly 4 months) - they have split it into two payments December and January - as they dont normally collect any Council tax in Feb and March.

genuineplacebo

Thanks Clutton, That's what I don't understand... Surely if the previos owners paid council tax between April and Nov, and then we make our payments, then all together the council would have had more than the annual amount?

8 x £134 = £1072
2 x 209 = 418
Total = 1490

bryanb

They should also adjust the prev owner's payments pro rata.

Pont

£1340.37 divided by 365 = £3.6722465 per day X 114 days (Dec, Jan, Feb and Mar) = £418.64. Their sums are correct, however they're charging 2 instalments rather than 4.

The previous owner would receive a refund if they have paid the 8 X £134 you suggest. Nonetheless, your charge seems accurate to me.

CIS

The council charge on a property is paid by the day - the previous owner could have paid enough to clear the charge for the period of 1 April 10 to 31 Mar 11 but if they leave on 31 Dec 10 then will be charged only for the period of 1 Apr 10 to 31 Dec 10 and any overpayment refunded.

At this stage in the year the statutory billing scheme would allow for a maximum of 1 payment at 1 Jan 11 however if the bill was issued before 16 Nov 10 then you would be entitled to payments on 1 Dec 10 and 1 Jan 11. The council can give more instalments than the statutory scheme if they so wish but they cant give less.

tyllwyd

If you were paying council tax on a previous property, make sure you inform the council that you have moved out, because if you were paying council tax over 10 months you should receive a refund from that property.

kkgree1

We moved in mid November and for our new house the council have asked us to make 3 instalments from December of £166 per month (would normally be around £128). We will have a council tax free month in March.

To offset this, we received a refund of £224 from our previous property for Council tax so it all works itself out in the end.

CIS

We moved in mid November and for our new house the council have asked us to make 3 instalments from December of £166 per month (would normally be around £128). We will have a council tax free month in March.

Some councils will and some wont. The statutory billing for you would given you Dec and Jan (possibly only Jan if they couldn't give 14 days notice of a dec payment) but councils can ,if they wish (and are sensible) , allow extra instalments to keep the payments down.