Council Tax 100% Premium HELP!!

Milinko87

Hi,

We have just bought a property and we intended keeping it empty whilst renovating, I have received a council tax bill today saying we owe the normal amount + another 100%. I have rang the council and they were not much use and I am waiting for someone to ring me back. I have discovered today the property has been empty for the past two years.

I have looked online and saw we can have it removed if we 'move into' the house. Please can anyone confirm this? I would much rather say we are living there and pay normal council tax then get a 25% discount + an extra 100% charge.

Thank you

[Deleted User]

Milinko87 said:

Hi,

We have just bought a property and we intended keeping it empty whilst renovating, I have received a council tax bill today saying we owe the normal amount + another 100%. I have rang the council and they were not much use and I am waiting for someone to ring me back. I have discovered today the property has been empty for the past two years.

I have looked online and saw we can have it removed if we 'move into' the house. Please can anyone confirm this? I would much rather say we are living there and pay normal council tax then get a 25% discount + an extra 100% charge.

Thank you

 You have to actually move in, furniture people and all. They will check. 

Hasbeen

Milinko87 said:

Hi,

We have just bought a property and we intended keeping it empty whilst renovating, I have received a council tax bill today saying we owe the normal amount + another 100%. I have rang the council and they were not much use and I am waiting for someone to ring me back. I have discovered today the property has been empty for the past two years.

I have looked online and saw we can have it removed if we 'move into' the house. Please can anyone confirm this? I would much rather say we are living there and pay normal council tax then get a 25% discount + an extra 100% charge.

Thank you

Empty for 2 years means that the property has used up the free council tax allowance for empty properties?


If you keep it empty then as you say then 100% extra charge.


You have to move in to pay normal charge.

letsbetfair

Worth speaking with the council. I think some don't charge the extra tax for a set period if repairs are (genuinely!) being done.

AdrianC

Milinko87 said:

I have looked online and saw we can have it removed if we 'move into' the house. Please can anyone confirm this? I would much rather say we are living there...

Of course, I assume you really WOULD be moving in and living there, not merely lying about "moving in"? Because that would be fraud... And councils really don't like CT fraud. Nor do courts.

KatrinaWaves

Hasbeen said:

Milinko87 said:

Hi,

We have just bought a property and we intended keeping it empty whilst renovating, I have received a council tax bill today saying we owe the normal amount + another 100%. I have rang the council and they were not much use and I am waiting for someone to ring me back. I have discovered today the property has been empty for the past two years.

I have looked online and saw we can have it removed if we 'move into' the house. Please can anyone confirm this? I would much rather say we are living there and pay normal council tax then get a 25% discount + an extra 100% charge.

Thank you

Empty for 2 years means that the property has used up the free council tax allowance for empty properties?
If you keep it empty then as you say then 100% extra charge.
You have to move in to pay normal charge.

You mention ‘using up then free council tax allowance for empty’

Not all councils award any ‘free council tax allowance’ for a property being ‘just empty’ in fact it’s quite rare now. 

theartfullodger

Milinko87 said:

Hi,

We have just bought a property and we intended keeping it empty whilst renovating, I have received a council tax bill today saying we owe the normal amount + another 100%. I have rang the council and they were not much use and I am waiting for someone to ring me back. I have discovered today the property has been empty for the past two years.

I have looked online and saw we can have it removed if we 'move into' the house. Please can anyone confirm this? I would much rather say we are living there and pay normal council tax then get a 25% discount + an extra 100% charge.

Thank you

You didn't know it had been empty for two years?? Wonder what else your "due diligence" somehow inexplicably missed?? Criminality, closure order, disputes with neighbours, unsatisfied council orders....

Slithery

letsbetfair said:

Worth speaking with the council. I think some don't charge the extra tax for a set period if repairs are (genuinely!) being done.

Yes, and that period is 2 years which has already been used up by the previous owners. It doesn't get reset when the property changes hands.

Scattle18

As the replys above, unfortunately the 2 year empty discount has already been used up by a previous occupier.
Also please don't just say you have now moved in to get the discount, a previous job of mine was a Council Tax and Business rates inspector, and part of my role was exactly this and checking the status of empty/occupied properties, they will 100% send somebody round to confirm.

snollygoster7

One of you move in. Don't have to be there every night, and don't have to furnish every room

davidmcn

snollygoster7 said:

One of you move in. Don't have to be there every night, and don't have to furnish every room

I think councils are wise to the concept of a couple suddenly living in separate houses being unlikely, unless they've actually split up.