Joint names on council tax

Badcreditgirl

Just wondering how having joint names on a council tax bill can effect credit ratings?

Basically, my credit is shockingly bad but partners is pretty good. We've kept all our bills separate and intend to do so until I've rebuilt my credit rating. However, just got an amended council tax bill through (we've recently moved) and it has both our names on it. Will this link us financially?

Many thanks x

HappyMJ

Badcreditgirl wrote: »

Just wondering how having joint names on a council tax bill can effect credit ratings?

Basically, my credit is shockingly bad but partners is pretty good. We've kept all our bills separate and intend to do so until I've rebuilt my credit rating. However, just got an amended council tax bill through (we've recently moved) and it has both our names on it. Will this link us financially?

Many thanks x

Council tax does not affect your credit rating even if it goes unpaid and reaches court. It will be a magistrates court that issues a liability order and that just confirms that you owe the money. It does not get recorded with credit reference agencies.

As equal owners or tenants you are both jointly liable for the bill.

Badcreditgirl

Thanks for the quick response HappyMJ.

Anthorn

The two credit reports of yourself and your partner will likely be linked and treated as one whole in the case of a search if one or other or both apply for credit. For example, a default on the council tax and possibly any debts held in a single name will affect both yourself and your partner but probably only in the case of a CCJ with Council Tax which isn't possible.

Tixy

Anthorn wrote: »

The two credit reports of yourself and your husband will likely be linked and and treated as one whole in the case of a search if one or other or both apply for credit. For example, a default on the council tax and possibly any debts held in a single name will affect both yourself and your husband.

A said above - council tax does not link people - and a default on council tax does not appear on a persons credit file.

HappyMJ

Anthorn wrote: »

The two credit reports of yourself and your partner will likely be linked and treated as one whole in the case of a search if one or other or both apply for credit. For example, a default on the council tax and possibly any debts held in a single name will affect both yourself and your partner but probably only in the case of a CCJ with Coucil Tax..

The non payment of council tax does not affect credit. You can not default on paying the council tax. If you don't pay the council tax the council takes the bill payer to court to get a liability order which confirms the bill payer owes the money. The council can then take further action to collect the outstanding tax but none of them is reporting to credit reference agencies.

The clue is in what a CCJ is...It's a civil court. A County Court Judgement. A council tax non payer is taken to Magistrates Court.

Anthorn

HappyMJ wrote: »

The non payment of council tax does not affect credit. You can not default on paying the council tax. If you don't pay the council tax the council takes the bill payer to court to get a liability order which confirms the bill payer owes the money. The council can then take further action to collect the outstanding tax but none of them is reporting to credit reference agencies.

You are very quick aren't you. I did in fact spot my omission and edited my post before I saw your post.

Badcreditgirl

Thanks for all the replies.

I'm not worried about the council tax not being paid, I'm on a DMP with CCCS so everything is budgeted for.

It was just out of curiosity, I don't want my bad credit to effect my partners if both our names were on the council tax.

Anthorn

Tixy wrote: »

A said above - council tax does not link people - and a default on council tax does not appear on a persons credit file.

But the credit reports of both partners are still linked by lenders if the relationship is known!

Tixy

Anthorn wrote: »

But the credit reports of both partners are still linked by lenders if the relationship is known!

Credit reports are not linked because a couple are married. Credit reports only show a financial association if

-they have a joint financial product (eg mortgage, loan, bank account with overdraft)
-sometimes an association is created if they have applied for a joint financial product - though it is possible and simple to disassociate if it is a search only and no product was taken out.

CIS

The clue is in what a CCJ is...It's a civil court. A County Court Judgement. A council tax non payer is taken to Magistrates Court.

Technically council tax can be recovered using the county court route but council's very rarely do so.