Second home council tax – part-year UK use while living abroad?

CaptNeutron

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81973284#Comment_81973284

Yeah! More like active service for my kids…as p00hstick says above…it may be that the council asked me years ago if was my main residence…I'll have to contact them. I am just trying to get myself informed before I do

GDB2222

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81971692#Comment_81971692

All views and opinions are valuable @marcia_ but Council Tax is governed by statute and case law. So, in order to help the OP know how much reliance to place on your own particular views, could you provide some idea of which laws and cases you have relied on?

marcia_

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81973294#Comment_81973294

so you have another home thus the premium is applicable. Might have been different if you were staying with family or in hotels/Airbnb etc

marcia_

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81973306#Comment_81973306

its quite clear the OP rents another home which makes the one they dont spend the majority of their time, decided by sefton council, a second home.

https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/second-homes-and-empty-properties

https://www.sefton.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax/discounts-and-exemptions/council-tax-premiums/

GDB2222

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81973426#Comment_81973426

Just to clarify, Marcia, I don't disagree with you. In fact, I agree with you. However, I would not class myself as an expert on council tax, and I would not place any weight on my opinion at all.

I assume the OP has already looked on the Sefton website, and he's seen the same info you have referred to. So, probably the reason he asked was that he was hoping for an expert to help him.

silvercar

Under some rules, eg stamp duty (SDLT), if you don’t own any other property in the world, the one you are buying is considered your primary residence, providing you intend living in it rather than renting it out. So it isn’t black and white.

I would tell the council that it is now your home. See what they say and if they ask for any evidence.

marcia_

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81973631#Comment_81973631

agree but this is a public forum with few experts where anybody can post to the best of their knowledge based on information given by the poster

CaptNeutron

Thanks for all the comments and help! It does seem to be a somewhat unclear ruling. I wanted to have some idea what the situation was before I started getting too involved with the council. I guess that's my next step.