The dreaded Council Tax

brm_2

Hello
Back from OZ after 16 months away.
Have taken the dust sheets off the furniture in my cottage and given it a spring clean, I know it's only January.
I will now have to get to 'switching' my gas and electric suppliers as prices have changed so much since being away.
I have read with interest all the posts here about CT but I note there is not one that refers to why we have to pay CT over 10 months instead of twelve as most utilities.
I thought I would ask the question here before contacting my district council.

seven-day-weekend

I don't know that reason, but I believe you can request to pay it over twelve mionths if that is easier.

Welcome home! I am an expat in Spain at the moment! (There is a thread at the top of the board about living abroad -you may be interested!).

missile

margaretclare wrote:

Hi MikeS
What the heck is a 'diversity officer' and why do we need them, let alone the Queen giving them awards?Margaret

I would hazard a guess that it is diversity as in looking after the diverse minority groups in the community e.g. race, religion, etc?

novice-saver

I think missile has it right.

A quick UK google for "diversity officer" turns up over 48000 hits.

This probably sums it up as P.C. "personnel", before it became "human resources"...

hodgester

melbury wrote:

Council offices should be located in wooden huts on the outskirts of town, not plush offices will all new equipment and furniture!

you're welcome to come to my sh**hole of an office anytime. The Gershon report guarantees that we will continue to work with outdated machinery, in offices that look like they're from the 70's and constantly losing staff to better paid private organisations, after we've trained them.

Res Ipsa Loquitor.

hodgester

brm wrote:

Hello
Back from OZ after 16 months away.
Have taken the dust sheets off the furniture in my cottage and given it a spring clean, I know it's only January.
I will now have to get to 'switching' my gas and electric suppliers as prices have changed so much since being away.
I have read with interest all the posts here about CT but I note there is not one that refers to why we have to pay CT over 10 months instead of twelve as most utilities.
I thought I would ask the question here before contacting my district council.

because it's a legal rquirement from the Local Government Finance Act 1992. the council can use it's discretion to extend it but has to collect it by march 2007 or they get carpeted for a lower collection rate by the government.

brm_2

hodgester wrote:

because it's a legal rquirement from the Local Government Finance Act 1992. the council can use it's discretion to extend it but has to collect it by march 2007.

Thanks
Can you tell me where in this act that a council can use it's discretion to collect CT over twelve months instead of 10 months.

seven-day-weekend

brm wrote:

Thanks
Can you tell me where in this act that a council can use it's discretion to collect CT over twelve months instead of 10 months.

No I can't but I have paid my CT over twelve months in the past.

You can also pay it weekly if that is easier for you.

hodgester

brm wrote:

Thanks
Can you tell me where in this act that a council can use it's discretion to collect CT over twelve months instead of 10 months.

Discrection is not in the statutory instruments. However, in most authorities, if you fall behind, and have a good payment history, they will allow you to pay over an extra month or two as a one off. they do in the 3 i have worked at anyway

hodgester

seven-day-weekend wrote:

No I can't but I have paid my CT over twelve months in the past.

You can also pay it weekly if that is easier for you.

if you pay it weekly, either pre-arrange with the LA or start your payments as soon as the bill arrives. otherwise you will always be in arrears, as you will be paying over the course of the month rather than by the 1st.