When to cancel council tax?

am.jovial

We are stuck in another country and not able to get back so vacating the rented flat to save on rent etc. We may or may not return to UK.
We have informed the utility companies about move date (tenancy end date May 15th) . But, when we checked our council tax website , it is asking below details : 

1. Your tenancy end date (dd.mm.yyyy)*
2. Date you moved out (dd.mm.yyyy)*
3. Was the property unfurnished from the date you moved out?*
4. Date furniture was moved out (dd.mm.yyyy)
5. Do you know the name of the owner/landlord?

The compulsory questions 2, 3 and the optional 4 kind of suggest that we need to inform council after the move is complete. But, we are wondering we are expected to inform before the move. We can't inform now as we are not sure what date we will actually be able to. The tenancy is ending on 15th May. 
Is it ok to inform after 15th may once we have completely moved out ? I hope we won't be charged saying we did not inform in advance !

davidmcn

am.jovial said:

But, we are wondering we are expected to inform before the move.

Don't know what you mean. The norm is that you tell them once you know you've actually moved. After all, especially at the moment, people often don't know for certain in advance when they're moving out. The council tax will be apportioned as at the day your tenancy ends.

greatcrested

Are you in a fixed term tenancy? Which ends on 15th May? If so, the actual date you move out is irrelevant (unless it is after 15th!). You are liable for the CT until the tenancy ends on the 15th. So assuming you leave on/before the 15th, contact the council on the 16th.

However if you are in a periodic tenancy, CT is due until you vacate, not until the tenancy ends. Since you don't yet know what date you will vacate,you cannot inform the council yet.

lincroft1710

Do you have any possessions in the flat? 

am.jovial

Cleared all today and dropped the keys just now. So, I think I can now inform the council.

am.jovial

By the way, council tax website asks me to give an address I am moving into in UK. But, I am not moving into any other address in UK. 
Should I give my friends address (my letters will be forwarded to this address) ? 
Or, may be I should call council and explain my situation and ask what should I do?

MovingForwards

Both of the council's I've dealt with have had a space for any other information, therefore fill in the form, leave the new UK address blank as you are not living at it, put your new details in the other information section.

am.jovial

MovingForwards said:

Both of the council's I've dealt with have had a space for any other information, therefore fill in the form, leave the new UK address blank as you are not living at it, put your new details in the other information section.

The address info is compulsory so I can not skip it. 

davidmcn

am.jovial said:

MovingForwards said:

Both of the council's I've dealt with have had a space for any other information, therefore fill in the form, leave the new UK address blank as you are not living at it, put your new details in the other information section.

The address info is compulsory so I can not skip it. 

You don't need to send the information via their webform, you can email them or write a letter instead. They'll want an address so they can contact you about any outstanding (credit or debit) balances, but you want to avoid them thinking you've actually moved to the new address and set up a council tax account for you there (if it's in their area).

staggered

am.jovial said:

By the way, council tax website asks me to give an address I am moving into in UK. But, I am not moving into any other address in UK. 
Should I give my friends address (my letters will be forwarded to this address) ? 
Or, may be I should call council and explain my situation and ask what should I do?

I would put something like "overseas address".  I would be wary about putting your friends' address in case they (or another council, if it's in a different area) try to charge you Council Tax there.

I would ring / email the council and ask them what their rules are for tenants moving out early and whether they're exempt from Council Tax if the property is empty.  You'll need to have removed all your belongings.  The worst they can say is "no" and "ring back after the 15th".

am.jovial

staggered said:

am.jovial said:

By the way, council tax website asks me to give an address I am moving into in UK. But, I am not moving into any other address in UK. 
Should I give my friends address (my letters will be forwarded to this address) ? 
Or, may be I should call council and explain my situation and ask what should I do?

I would put something like "overseas address".  I would be wary about putting your friends' address in case they (or another council, if it's in a different area) try to charge you Council Tax there.

I would ring / email the council and ask them what their rules are for tenants moving out early and whether they're exempt from Council Tax if the property is empty.  You'll need to have removed all your belongings.  The worst they can say is "no" and "ring back after the 15th".

Ringed the council and they are fine putting a C/O address and mentioning the details. Just did that and will wait for the communications. Thank you everyone for your help.