Council tax as a student

Hartson_2

I would really appreciate some information regarding council tax.

Next week I am moving into a flat in East London. It is a 2 bedroom flat, and I will be sharing with a friend who works full-time as a secondary school teacher.

I will be a full-time postgraduate student (doing a postgraduate diploma) between August 2012 and February 2013 (only a 6 month course).

Will we receive any deductions on council tax owing to my student status, if my friend is not a student?

It is not a 'student flat', I just happen to be a student (hope that makes sense!)

Any information is greatly appreciated, thank you.

PippaGirl_2

You are eligible for council tax exemption as a full time student, you will need to get a certificate from Uni stating you are a full time student - they churn these out each year so are well used to it. That means your property will gain a single person discount as you do not count so the annual bill will be 75% of the original. Your flat mate is responsible for that in full legally however, do they realise that? Unless you voluntarily agree to pay half each.
Basically, you are exempt so the property will be treated as if it has one single occupant.

PippaGirl_2

Obviously that is for the length of your course and only while you are studying. You need to inform the council of the dates of your course and they will adjust the bills accordingly each time.

Hartson_2

Thanks for your help guys!

Hartson_2

Rather prickly topic though. Although I'm not legally obliged, would most people say I'm ethically obliged to pay a third of that 75% - seeing as my friend could just have lived with people who work and thus paid the normal amount if she had done so?

PippaGirl_2

Yes that is the dilemma. You say a third, is there a third person living there or will there be?

One way round it would be to take the 25% single person discount amount and pay the difference between that and a half of the original total bill so with your discount and your payment that would total half the original bill if that makes sense. Morally that would seem fair despite no legal obligation.

However if as you say there are three people living there including you then there is no discount anyway to the bill.

Dunroamin

PippaGirl wrote: »

Yes that is the dilemma. You say a third, is there a third person living there or will there be?

One way round it would be to take the 25% single person discount amount and pay the difference between that and a half of the original total bill so with your discount and your payment that would total half the original bill if that makes sense. Morally that would seem fair despite no legal obligation.

However if as you say there are three people living there including you then there is no discount anyway to the bill.

You've misunderstood and you're making the whole thing unnecessarily complicated.

If the OP pays a third of the 75% bill (bill minus 25% single person discount)then the friend will be paying 50% of the whole amount, just as she would be if she were sharing with another worker!

Hartson_2

PippaGirl wrote: »

Yes that is the dilemma. You say a third, is there a third person living there or will there be?

One way round it would be to take the 25% single person discount amount and pay the difference between that and a half of the original total bill so with your discount and your payment that would total half the original bill if that makes sense. Morally that would seem fair despite no legal obligation.

However if as you say there are three people living there including you then there is no discount anyway to the bill.

I think the poster underneath you got it right. The flat as a whole receives a 25% reduction (meaning we pay 75% of the total). That 25% reduction is mine (and not split between us), so I've agreed to pay the remaining 25% in order to make up my half. My flatmate will just pay the 50% of the pre-deduction total, just as she would do normally.