Council Tax cost

autumnleaf72

Hi I have just moved house, I was paying my council tax monthly in my old house of 140 pounds a month 1400 for the year.

My new house is 1400 for the year also but the council are telling me i need to pay 211 per month for the next 4 months totaling £844 im a bit confused by this i would have expected that the previous owners payments would have been deducted from the years amount with the remainder remaining to be paid by myself otherwise 211 for the total 10 months is way above the 1400 year cost. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks Debbie

Caz3121

you will have overpaid on your old property if you are paying the 12 month charge over 10 months. In the past I have had the overpayment moved to the new property (same council)
they will work it out based on the number of days, your total once sorted out will be £1400

autumnleaf72

its a new council authority i have moved do they work together of do i need to speak to each independently?

Thanks debs

nick74

The 'year' as far as council tax is concerned runs from 1 April to 31 March, so if you've moved during September you will have approximately 7/12ths of a full years council tax to pay on your new property. 7/12ths of £1400 is £817, so not far off the £844 you've calculated.

If you've overpaid at your former address the old council should send a refund to you once you've told them your leaving date.

p00hsticks

autumnleaf72 wrote: »

My new house is 1400 for the year also but the council are telling me i need to pay 211 per month for the next 4 months totaling £844

autumnleaf72 wrote: »

211 for the total 10 months is way above the 1400 year cost.

So are they asking you to pay that sum for 4 months or 10 ?

You don't say exactly when you moved if, but if it was last month, then the previous occupiers would/should have made payments for April, May, July and August - 4 x £140 = £560. this leaves an outstanding bill for the rest of of the year of (£1400 - £560 £840.

So if you are being asked to pay £211 a month for the next four months, and then nothing for the rest of the year, then this seems right (give or take the odd £4).

But if you are being asked to pay £211 every month for the rest of the year then you're right, it's too much and you need to query it further with the council.

autumnleaf72

even is im paying over the 10 months? I started my DD in the old house on April at£140 1st payment was April last payment would be Jan 2020 @ 140 a month that would have been the 1400 in my old house, so my logic is and as usual it may be wrong is that its the same amount of council tax just a different council tax county. Paid in old house 5@140 pay at new house 5@140 total paid 1400 for 10 month payment schedule. but im being asked to pay 5@211 thats 1055 in the new house. so a total of 700 in the old house already paid makes a total council tax between the 2 houses 1755 this is where my confusion is kicking in.

Caz3121

autumnleaf72 wrote: »

its a new council authority i have moved do they work together of do i need to speak to each independently?

I would expect the old council to refund you the overpayment....

Nick_C

autumnleaf72 wrote: »

its a new council authority i have moved do they work together of do i need to speak to each independently?

Thanks debs

You need to inform your old council that you have moved out, when you moved out, and your new address. If you have overpaid at your old address, request a refund. You should get a new bill for your old address that shows the final balance.

It sounds as if your new council have set you up on a standard 10 month payment plan, where payments have to be made by 31 January. Call them, and ask them to put you on a 12 month plan so you can pay by 31 March. in a full year, you have a right to pay in 12 instalments instead of 10, but a lot of Councils don't tell you this and by default try to collect the money before 231 January.

I don't know what the law says about moving mid year, but I would have thought at this stage you would be able to pay in six instalments.

Caz3121

autumnleaf72 wrote: »

even is im paying over the 10 months? I started my DD in the old house on April at£140 1st payment was April last payment would be Jan 2020 @ 140 a month that would have been the 1400 in my old house, so my logic is and as usual it may be wrong is that its the same amount of council tax just a different council tax county. Paid in old house 5@140 pay at new house 5@140 total paid 1400 for 10 month payment schedule. but im being asked to pay 5@211 thats 1055 in the new house. so a total of 700 in the old house already paid makes a total council tax between the 2 houses 1755 this is where my confusion is kicking in.

take the £1,400 and divide it ...roughly £3.84 per day / £117 per month
so if you were in the old house 5 months of the tax year you would have been due to pay £585 (5 x 117) but actually paid £700 (5 x 140) so £215 to be refunded (rough calculation as they will calculate more accurately with days)

nick74

autumnleaf72 wrote: »

even is im paying over the 10 months? I started my DD in the old house on April at£140 1st payment was April last payment would be Jan 2020 @ 140 a month that would have been the 1400 in my old house, so my logic is and as usual it may be wrong is that its the same amount of council tax just a different council tax county. Paid in old house 5@140 pay at new house 5@140 total paid 1400 for 10 month payment schedule. but im being asked to pay 5@211 thats 1055 in the new house. so a total of 700 in the old house already paid makes a total council tax between the 2 houses 1755 this is where my confusion is kicking in.

If you were paying in 10 instalments at your old address then you will have overpaid and be due a partial refund from your old council.