How closely do agencies work re fraud

HurdyGurdy

I know that someone is fraudulently claiming single person occupancy discount for council tax.

Her husband is on the electoral roll as living with another woman at a property he owns. He is selling this property and needs this to be seen as his primary residence for tax purposes. He has not lived there since the couple moved into their present home. Obviously the tenant who would be entitled to single person occupancy discount isn't claiming it.

He also has not declared the rental income for tax purposes. The property has been rented out for about 10 years.

If he was reported to the IR, would the IR pass information on to the local authority to investigate the council tax element and vice versa, or would both things need to be reported separately?

iluvmarmite

Be prepared to get told you are sticking your nose in and to mind your own business, it seems some on here dont mind benefit fraud and think people should just let them get on with it and ignore it.

Hootie19

Yes, I just read a bit of the housing benefit thread, and was a bit surprised at how accepting some people are re fraud (methinks maybe they've something to hide themselves!)

HappyMJ

HurdyGurdy wrote: »

I know that someone is fraudulently claiming single person occupancy discount for council tax.

Her husband is on the electoral roll as living with another woman at a property he owns. He is selling this property and needs this to be seen as his primary residence for tax purposes. He has not lived there since the couple moved into their present home. Obviously the tenant who would be entitled to single person occupancy discount isn't claiming it.

He also has not declared the rental income for tax purposes. The property has been rented out for about 10 years.

If he was reported to the IR, would the IR pass information on to the local authority to investigate the council tax element and vice versa, or would both things need to be reported separately?

No they do not directly speak to each other they report the findings into a database. This database then matches data. i.e 2 adults living at an address yet council discount for 1 person. A letter is automatically generated and sent to the council.

IR does not exist it's HMRC.

If you wish to report them then report it directly to the council.

I wouldn't bother with the tax thing as it sounds like he's doing it for capital gains purposes and he must therefore be known to the HMRC already. By knowing he isn't declaring it he will be able to identify you. Very few people will know that information. Anyone could guess that he is living at the property and guess that a single person discount is being claimed that won't identify you. just let them work from there and let them do the investigation.

CIS

If he was reported to the IR, would the IR pass information on to the local authority to investigate the council tax element and vice versa, or would both things need to be reported separately?

Not for council tax purposes. There is next to no information sharing for ant-fraud measures in respect of council tax which is why it is so prevalent. Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit get information as they are run by DWP (administered by local councils on DWP's behalf) but as Council Tax is purely local authority run it gets no data sharing other than what they can get internally (some data matching goes on with credit reference agencies but that's about it).

antrobus

HurdyGurdy wrote: »

I know that someone is fraudulently claiming single person occupancy discount for council tax.

Her husband is on the electoral roll as living with another woman at a property he owns. He is selling this property and needs this to be seen as his primary residence for tax purposes. He has not lived there since the couple moved into their present home. Obviously the tenant who would be entitled to single person occupancy discount isn't claiming it.

So one person who shouldn't be claiming the single person occupancy discount is, and one person who should be, isn't? Not a massive loss to the public finances.

HurdyGurdy wrote: »

He also has not declared the rental income for tax purposes. The property has been rented out for about 10 years.

And presumably will therefore also be seeking to evade the CGT that might be due, given that the property is for sale.

HurdyGurdy wrote: »

If he was reported to the IR, would the IR pass information on to the local authority to investigate the council tax element and vice versa, or would both things need to be reported separately?

Well, it's the husband who is the tax evader and should thus be reported to HMRC, whilst it's the wife who is making the council tax claim. Two different people, two different reports.

[Deleted User]

iluvmarmite wrote: »

Be prepared to get told you are sticking your nose in and to mind your own business, it seems some on here dont mind benefit fraud and think people should just let them get on with it and ignore it.

thats totally unfair !
however the attitude i take with such threads is why the hell does anyone need our permission to report anyone for fraud?cant they make their own decisions.
usually they arent in possession of ALL the facts,and the vast majority of reported frauds are 100% malicious anyway