I must admit I'm excited about Council Tax, but who to interview? Blog discussion

MSE_Jenny

This is the discussion to link on the back of Martin's "I must admit I'm excited about Council Tax, but who to interview?" blog. Please read the blog first, as the discussion follows it.

Read Martin's "I must admit I'm excited about Council Tax, but who to interview?" Blog

catz747

Surely you would interview someone who has done it & it has made a big difference, even if the info did come from here. Also you would film someone as they went through the process of doing it from the initial research into council tax bands in the area to the sending letters to the receiving the success letter
Can't wait to watch the programme - good on you :T

MSE_Martin

Hiya - yes dont worry - we're filming case studies of people who've done it - but I won't be 'interviewing them'. Actually I've just come back from filming the "Council Tax Savings Class" for the programme - it went really well - should be a fun and hopefully interesting bit of telly.

Martin

Mrs._M_7

Try the Isitfair Campaign https://www.isitfair.co.uk. Many thousands of members across the country. Young and old alike are welcomed to join this campaign.
calling for the reform of the council tax system. See our suggestion on the web site. As long as council tax is property based it can never by fair.
The researchers for this Program are I understand, interviewing some of our members. In 2005 a whole Trevor MacDonald was devoted to this campaign and members have taken part in two programs since.
The unfairness of the present council tax system must be kept to the forefront. It has to change. Many have already decided that enough is enough and are withholding payment.

catz747

MSE_Martin wrote:

Hiya - yes dont worry - we're filming case studies of people who've done it - but I won't be 'interviewing them'. Actually I've just come back from filming the "Council Tax Savings Class" for the programme - it went really well - should be a fun and hopefully interesting bit of telly.

Martin

Aaah Now I see what you mean about interviewing people

I guess there might be a bit in the introduction about how & when council tax came about, you mention 1991, so at 26 I was only 11 then & don't really know a time when there was no council tax. It's always been to me just one of those fixed amount things that you pay along with your rent or mortgage. I got a discount as a student but asides that have always been in Band A.

I'll bet up until now people hadn't even dreamed that they were paying too much.

Mrs._M_7

Council tax was introducted ion 1993 by a Conservative council to replace the 'poll tax' This Government having promised not to raise income tax, have used Council tax to help save that situation. Council tax is paid from already taxed income and is based on property. As long as this is the case it cannot be fair. How can it be fair, when people receiving similar incomes are paying as much as twice as much council tax as another, depending on where they live.

Mike_S_8

You can vote to have CT reformed here: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/FAIRCOUNCILTAX/

Please pass this link on.

(Also - the web site at https://www.isitfair.co.uk is well worth a visit.)

MSE_Martin

Hi Mrs. M

Thanks for the suggestion - actually quite deliberastely this isn't a programme about 'council tax' itself - that's been done (and its also not what I do). It's about errors in council tax banding and how you can get rebanded and get your money back. Its a money saving rather than political agenda

Martin

Maisie

Good luck Martin and all for the programme.

Glad my original post helped many get council tax refunds and rebanding and the C/tax programme has materialised as a result.

Maisie

bye_bye_band_G

Martin, if you do interview the Valuation Officer, could you pose the question of whether those of us who follow your advice and receive rebates from rebanding are entitled to claim interest as well?
No-one on the main thread seems to know the answer to this one, and its not a minor issue - I've just had a rebanding from G to F (all thanks to you) with a whopping refund of £2906, and I reckon if they paid me interest back to 1993 as well, this would be worth at least another £700.
I will pursue this myself with the council and the VOA but would be very interested to hear the official line if the question could be raised in the programme.
Looking forward to watching it!

guppy

Interview the people who authorised a rush job back in 1993!