Council Tax ....Advice Please

cornishpirate

Hi

I will try and summarise a long story! I pay full council tax on my house in Cornwall.Because of my work I have been renting and living in a property in the midlands during the week and declaring it as a second home and getting 50% reduction in my council tax there.

Just had the 2007/2008 demand through from the Midlands council ..... second properties no longer get 50% discount it is now 10% but if you live on your own you get 25% discount. Tried to phone them but they are saying I am not elligible for 25% discount as it is a second home and not my main residence

If I declare to them that the the midlands address is now my main residence are there any implications? Do I write to them and say that my circumstances have changed and will I need to provide any proof that this is my main residence? Or ...... do I declare Cornwall as my second home and get a reduction there ? ( my wife is not happy about the latter!)

Any advice would be welcomed

CP

CIS

Just had the 2007/2008 demand through from the Midlands council ..... second properties no longer get 50% discount it is now 10% but if you live on your own you get 25% discount. Tried to phone them but they are saying I am not elligible for 25% discount as it is a second home and not my main residence

If I declare to them that the the midlands address is now my main residence are there any implications? Do I write to them and say that my circumstances have changed and will I need to provide any proof that this is my main residence? Or ...... do I declare Cornwall as my second home and get a reduction there ? ( my wife is not happy about the latter!)[/QUOTE

It depends, we have this often in our office with people who work during the week in scotland but live in Englenad during as their main home the rest of the time.

From a legal point of view, your 'work home' isnt your main residence as you would return to Cornwall if you lost your job or retired etc . Declaring the midands home as your main home to get a discount could be storing up trouble, lots of councils will write and check with other ones to check on the status of sole or main residence where 2nd home diso!!!!! are involved.