Relationship between Council Tax on "Second Home" & Capital Gains Tax exemption on "Main Residence"?

silvercar

rodscott said:

when my wife and I left London for the coast in 2008 and she alone bought a house there, I retained my flat in London as sole owner. Unfortunately we left the correspondence address for council tax etc for my wife on the coast as the London flat as this was convenient for moving etc. An oversight. My wife conducts her life at her house on the coast, local activities etc. and I spend a lot of my time there. we both pay council tax on our properties. My wife’s leaving my address with the coastal local authority has given them the idea they can charge a 100% council tax premium on the basis the coastal  house is a second home. They say there is a presumption that as marrieds we reside in the same principal residence and based on the address mistake quoted above they seem to think the principal residence is the little used london flat. Can anyone comment. Please

Produce the necessary evidence that the coastal house is her main home. This would include things like her doctor’s surgery being  local to the coastal town rather than in London. Address registered with her work, if employed, address at hmrc. Membership of a local gym/ country club/ social club,

PaulCooper

Change her driving licence to coastal address, no charge and easy. Change the address with her bank, almost certainly an electronic change and pay the coastal address bill from her account.
OR
convince both authorities you need the London address for work, there's an exemption for second home premiums for this
Paul