Postgraduate Council Tax

JamesGClark96

I am starting a PhD in September and obviously do not want to pay council tax with my student status. Given that i will be moving for four years i would like to change my permanent address away from my home address (parents) which i kept while during my undergrad. Can i do this without having to pay council tax? I have heard that the reason students dont have to pay council tax is because it isnt their permanent address and they come under their parents address

CIS

JamesGClark96 wrote: »

I am starting a PhD in September and obviously do not want to pay council tax with my student status.
Can i do this without having to pay council tax?

Full time students don't themselves, (usually), pay council tax because they are disregarded from the purposes of the calculation of council tax. This disregard itself has nothing to do with place of residence.

Given that i will be moving for four years i would like to change my permanent address away from my home address (parents) which i kept while during my undergra

If another property becomes your 'sole or main residence' then you should advise the council you are resident at that address. If the other property is just temporary and you would be moving back to a main address elsewhere then you would need also to advise the council of that circumstance.

I have heard that the reason students dont have to pay council tax is because it isnt their permanent address and they come under their parents address

Not exactly that straightforward but the issue you bring up here is regarding residence - that's only really a council tax issue for those who have moved only temporarily (and even then not too much).


All in all though arguing over sole or main residence for students doesn't generally make a difference as to whether or not an exemption can be granted - where all occupiers are 'resident' a Class N exemption can apply in most cases. For properties which are just 'occupied' (i.e lived in) as term time accommodation these are also eligible for the Class N exemption in most cases.