Am I being overcharged on my new council tax bill?

ar01

My partner moved in at the start of September & I notified the local council tax department because I was entitled to Council Tax Reduction & Single Adult Occupier Discount which needed to end, however, the council have billed me the full tax charge from the 1st April 2021 to 31 March 2022, less the Council Tax Reduction & Single Adult Occupier Discount I was entitled to up to the start of September when the changes took place.

Am I correct in thinking that we should only be billed for part of the year, from the date the changes took place in September when he moved in & should my old council tax account now be cancelled & a new one opened as a joint account for my partner & myself?

mjm3346

Appears to be no overcharge

CIS

ar01 said:

My partner moved in at the start of September & I notified the local council tax department because I was entitled to Council Tax Reduction & Single Adult Occupier Discount which needed to end, however, the council have billed me the full tax charge from the 1st April 2021 to 31 March 2022, less the Council Tax Reduction & Single Adult Occupier Discount I was entitled to up to the start of September when the changes took place.

Am I correct in thinking that we should only be billed for part of the year, from the date the changes took place in September when he moved in & should my old council tax account now be cancelled & a new one opened as a joint account for my partner & myself?

There should be a joint bill if he is now a resident partner - unless he's a student - from the date he moved in, and the council tax charge re-calculated as appropriate from that point.

lincroft1710

CIS said:

ar01 said:

My partner moved in at the start of September & I notified the local council tax department because I was entitled to Council Tax Reduction & Single Adult Occupier Discount which needed to end, however, the council have billed me the full tax charge from the 1st April 2021 to 31 March 2022, less the Council Tax Reduction & Single Adult Occupier Discount I was entitled to up to the start of September when the changes took place.

Am I correct in thinking that we should only be billed for part of the year, from the date the changes took place in September when he moved in & should my old council tax account now be cancelled & a new one opened as a joint account for my partner & myself?

There should be a joint bill if he is now a resident partner - unless he's a student - from the date he moved in, and the council tax charge re-calculated as appropriate from that point.

If the "partner" is just a boyfriend who is neither a co-tenant nor co-owner and not in a civil partnership with OP, would the CT bill still need to be in joint names?

CIS

lincroft1710 said:

CIS said:

ar01 said:

My partner moved in at the start of September & I notified the local council tax department because I was entitled to Council Tax Reduction & Single Adult Occupier Discount which needed to end, however, the council have billed me the full tax charge from the 1st April 2021 to 31 March 2022, less the Council Tax Reduction & Single Adult Occupier Discount I was entitled to up to the start of September when the changes took place.

Am I correct in thinking that we should only be billed for part of the year, from the date the changes took place in September when he moved in & should my old council tax account now be cancelled & a new one opened as a joint account for my partner & myself?

There should be a joint bill if he is now a resident partner - unless he's a student - from the date he moved in, and the council tax charge re-calculated as appropriate from that point.

If the "partner" is just a boyfriend who is neither a co-tenant nor co-owner and not in a civil partnership with OP, would the CT bill still need to be in joint names?

Yes, by virtue of s9 LGFA 1992 if they are living together as a couple.

The catch all is

For the purposes of this section, two persons are to be treated as married to, or civil partners of, each other if they are living together as if they were a married couple or civil partners.

Unless you're brave enough to take it to tribunal that a couple living together don't meet this (and I very much doubt you could win it on the intention of what it is meant to cover).