Council tax on second home

MynameisMichaelCane

Apologies if this has already been answered. I did look but couldn't find a situation exactly the same. A friend has a main residence in Europe and a small house in the UK where he stays for a couple of months a year. He is being charged double council tax on his UK home as it apparently counts as a second home. My question is, should it count as a second home when it is his only home in the UK? 

Keep_pedalling

Yes, this is a holiday home, so the additional tax will apply. 

marcia_

MynameisMichaelCane said:

Apologies if this has already been answered. I did look but couldn't find a situation exactly the same. A friend has a main residence in Europe and a small house in the UK where he stays for a couple of months a year. He is being charged double council tax on his UK home as it apparently counts as a second home. My question is, should it count as a second home when it is his only home in the UK? 

 Does not matter where the other home is, double council tax applies on any second home 

MynameisMichaelCane

Thanks for the replies. This leads me to wonder why he should pay twice as much as anyone else when he is only using services provided by the council, such as bin collection, for only two months of the year. Anyone know the rational behind this policy?

p00hsticks

MynameisMichaelCane said:

Thanks for the replies. This leads me to wonder why he should pay twice as much as anyone else when he is only using services provided by the council, such as bin collection, for only two months of the year. Anyone know the rational behind this policy?

@MynameisMichaelCane
 Council tax is not directly linked to what services the payee may or may not use (and anyway he'd probably want to use more that he thinks - he'd want the fire brigade to attend if his house was on fire, for example, even if he wasn't in residence at the time). 

The second home premium is intended as a way of encouraging some to dispose of their infrequently used second homes and so free them, up for true locals who will become a useful addition to the community and local economy. 

Someone who lives in the community full time can work or provide employment there, will create a demand for other local services such as schools,. doctors and dentists etc that may then also set up there, and will become a true part of the community by interacting with the other locals on a daily basis.

As someone who lives in a coastal town that consists of a large number of holiday and second homes, pushing people born there out of the community as they are unable to rent or buy property in the area, I very much welcomed the introduction of the premium, as most people around here do. 

saajan_12

MynameisMichaelCane said:

Thanks for the replies. This leads me to wonder why he should pay twice as much as anyone else when he is only using services provided by the council, such as bin collection, for only two months of the year. Anyone know the rational behind this policy?

Because its a tax, not a payment for taxes services. 
Eg for income tax, higher earners pay more even though they may use fewer services by sending kids to private schools or having private health insurance and so not using free schools / nhs. But they are still taxed more because they can afford to contribute more to the infrastructure that benefits everyone. 

With council services, it doesn't save the council if the lorries can skip a house.. there's a basic cost to employing people, servicing lorries, managing dumpsites. Everyone needs a home so everyone contributes a baseline figure, but those who can afford a second home can presumably afford more. Or otherwise can make the choice to forgo the extra home. 

Edit: wrong word above

MynameisMichaelCane

"But they are still taxed more because they can afford to contribute more to the infrastructure that benefits everyone." So, you seem to be saying that it's a socialist policy, political rather than based on practical considerations? 

"As someone who lives in a coastal town that consists of a large number of holiday and second homes, pushing people born there out of the community as they are unable to rent or buy property in the area,". I can understand the frustration of locals not being able to get a property in their home town, but there are several other ways that the situation could be changed. For example, when a property is sold there could be a requirement that it is only sold to someone who fulfils some residency requirements. 
As it happens, in the area where my friend and I live there are plenty of properties available in a range of prices from very affordable to expensive. I don't think there is problem for locals getting on the housing market. But I don't think we are supposed to discuss anything political on these forums, so I'll say no more!