Council tax extortionate

adam123456789

Ive Just moved into a property on the 19/06/2020 and my local council is trying to charge me over £200 a month in council tax. I’ve worked it out that they’re trying to make me pay for the full 12 months of the tax year even though I’ve only been liable for the property since the move in date. Is this correct or are they trying to rob me?

Alter_ego

Not enough info to comment

davilown

You're liable from the day you move in.  What is the council tax band for your house?

adam123456789

Band C in Cheshire west and chester

eidand

give them a call to ask why it's like that 

adam123456789

I am going too on Monday, just wondering if anyone thinks it’s correct before I show myself up on the phone haha

theartfullodger

Tories have cut council funding by 60% in 10 years....

greatcrested

Would it not be more helpful to ask the council for a breakdown of the charge? We can't see the basis for the £200pm.

How is payment made? One explanation might be that DD payments are taken for 10, not 12 months, so in Feb/March 2021 you'll pay nothing. But without full details that's just a hypothesis.

What does your council tax statement say?

Caz3121

what does the bill actually say, how many payments are you due to make?
at an approximation you will be paying 80% of the annual total (roughly 80% of the year) divided by the number of payments to be made. 
https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/documents/council-tax/council-tax-charges-2020-21-.pdf

Socajam

greatcrested said:

Would it not be more helpful to ask the council for a breakdown of the charge? We can't see the basis for the £200pm.

How is payment made? One explanation might be that DD payments are taken for 10, not 12 months, so in Feb/March 2021 you'll pay nothing. But without full details that's just a hypothesis.

What does your council tax statement say?

That's how my council tax is paid - 10 months - Feb and Mar nothing - April thru January Council tax

p00hsticks

greatcrested said:

One explanation might be that DD payments are taken for 10, not 12 months, so in Feb/March 2021 you'll pay nothing. But without full details that's just a hypothesis.

That wouldn't explain it - according to this

https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/residents/council-tax/council-tax-budget-information/supporting-information-for-council-tax-business-rates.aspx

band C in Chester is £1662.63, so even a full years council tax would only be £166.26 a month over ten months. And OP is potentially only liable for just under ten months (although it's not clear who was liable for the tax from April until when the OP moved in - if they previously owned the property and it was empty they could be liable even before they moved in.

Another possibility is that the council think the propert is empty and are applying a 50% surcharge ?