Council Tax query and worry.

CIS

Just had a thought... One of the reasons he didn't move in was because he became a student again for a year doing his masters. Can student exemption from Council Tax be applied retrospectively? If I was stung for cash surely this would knock 12 of the 18 months worth off anyway right?

It can be - but if he wasn't resident then it can't be applied . (It would be a dsiregard rather than an exemption anyway i.e he wouldn't be counted in the calculation of the council tax due).

jennifernil

You are worrying far too much! And "jumping the gun".

State the facts and give his details if asked. Why would he or his parents refuse to confirm the facts?

Your previous "brush with authority" was not with the council.

You would be foolish to offer to pay based on that. It would make you look guilty IMHO.

alfiesmum

Sounds a bit weird at this stage I'm afraid. I think Jennifernil has it spot, state the facts. I also agree with their observation that it would/does make you look guilty. I suppose if you were to have lied, the best you can hope for is they agree for the payments to be backdated. As apposed to thinking you were acting unlawfully, and decide to prosecute instead. Hope it all turns out okay ( if of course anything at all actually does happen, you're just worrying about maybes at the moment)

michaeldc

CIS wrote:

It can be - but if he wasn't resident then it can't be applied . (It would be a dsiregard rather than an exemption anyway i.e he wouldn't be counted in the calculation of the council tax due).

So if they accept he wasn't resident then my discount is fine and if not then they would accept he was a student and my discount (for the most part) would be fine anyway?

jennifernil wrote: »

You are worrying far too much! And "jumping the gun".

State the facts and give his details if asked. Why would he or his parents refuse to confirm the facts?

Your previous "brush with authority" was not with the council.

You would be foolish to offer to pay based on that. It would make you look guilty IMHO.

I'm a big time worrier, I worry that they won't believe me, I worry about upsetting my friends parents (they won't refuse at all, I just don't want to bother them with this. I may have to of course.)

I worry that people won't believe me even when I'm in the right and I worry that if I don't just do whatever they ask of me I'll look uncooperative and be punished for it.

To be honest I'm in a bad mood today, if they rang me up I'd probably bark their head off, afterall it was one of their staff that 18 months ago said it would be ok, I'm just envisioning the worst cos things aren't going so well at the minute and when they asked about my letting agency and reitterated I was the only person living there it got me thinking and paranoia set in.

CIS

So if they accept he wasn't resident then my discount is fine and if not then they would accept he was a student and my discount (for the most part) would be fine anyway?

Pretty much correct from what you have stated regarding his circumstances.

AliBongo73

You don't need to worry - you have done nothing wrong, and you shouldn't have to pay the extra as you were entitled to the 25% discount. Your friend and his parents have nothing to lose by stating he lived with them as far as I can see. Given that he backtracked on agreeing to share and you were OK with that I don't think it is too much to ask that he helps you on this occasion, hopefully he is registered to vote and has official paperwork going elsewhere which proves what you have stated.

michaeldc

AliBongo73 wrote: »

You don't need to worry - you have done nothing wrong, and you shouldn't have to pay the extra as you were entitled to the 25% discount. Your friend and his parents have nothing to lose by stating he lived with them as far as I can see. Given that he backtracked on agreeing to share and you were OK with that I don't think it is too much to ask that he helps you on this occasion, hopefully he is registered to vote and has official paperwork going elsewhere which proves what you have stated.

Yeah he has all manner of bills and payslips and is registered to vote at his parents. I've spoken to him a couple of times about this and he even said if we have to pay anything he'll go halves so that's a weight off my mind.

Thanks for all the advice on this thread, it is much apreciated.