Council tax is a c**t

They have employment insurance for out of work benefits, which is moot anyway as there is 100% employment rate in these countries.

I do look at English people with pity (no offence). They genuinely believe that it is normal to pay for everything and get a mere £84 per week in the event of unemployment, or a paltry £200 a year winter fuel allowance. In Ireland, pensioners get €1000 per year regardless of means as winter fuel allowance.

It doesn’t always work like that. The size of the house is only one factor and CT valuations differ substantially between councils and also within local areas.

So you're unable to explain. Thought so. Lol

Please stop saying I haven't thought it through. It very much comes across to me that you don't understand or care for what I've said to you thus far.

I explained twice, the second try was a little more detailed. If you still don't understand, it's not my problem. I can and will keep trying to elaborate, but it's not worth it to me if you're not willing to actually take in what you're being told and demean people trying to help you, is it?

You're set in your ways, I get it. You don't want to be enlightened, you want an excuse to insult people.

Perhaps do your own research? You're capable of using the internet, so jump on Google and make an effort to understand how the system works (or doesn't work as the case may be).

Without sounding like a smart arse, surely you know the countries globally with little to no tax? Again, that isn't meant to sound disrespectful. There are lots of them. The Cayman Islands being one of them.

In addition, EU countries that do implement taxation are light years ahead of the UK in every respect. They also have excellent benefits systems, unlike the UK.

Where are these tax free countries? Are they only for rich people? What about unemployment benefits, the prison system, the courts, the police? How does that work?

Same with me - trying to sell my late aunt's flat which has been on the market for 18 months. I got the six months' free, then had to pay normal rate, then they slapped the Empty Property Premium on top of that, so as you say, nearly double. However, you can appeal - you have to send them proof that you engaged Estate Agents and have reduced the price several times in order to sell. I did this and have won the appeal - in fact I am due a refund (which is taking forever to come, but that's another matter!).

What I most love about paying my council tax is that it has gone up exponentially in the last 3 years because my local authority was caught out being discriminatory against women they employed, carried on doing it after they were found out and then got sued up to their eyeballs (rightfully so) and passed the cost of this discrimination to its local residents!

Its just joyful 😐.

It’s the valuations that I can’t get my head around. I’m Band G, it’s a 4 bed house, small garden. There’s a house for sale round the corner for twice what we paid, that’s Band D. There’s a new build opposite that’s twice the size of ours, landscaped garden, sauna/hot tub. It’s probably worth 3 times as much as ours, and it’s Band F.

It’s just completely nonsensical and I really begrudge paying £430 a month when the road is full of potholes and we only half fill our bin every fortnight.

I'm laughing at those in kiwerctax bands being unemployed.

The value of my home in 1993 has no bearing on my employment status in 2026. Its low tax band because its in "The North". (In fact ex Military property, which were rated as pretty much worthless at the time).

@Differentforgirls you asked for a link. I explained no one link will cover all LAs. So you ought look at your own.
it’s what you asked for

I'm asking you to clarify it. Explain the details.

If you can't then it suggests you really haven't thought it through.

I don't need to. But thanks.

It's Czech Republic, Prague.
I don't know about the small cities, admittedly, and haven't lived there permanently for 25 years.
But, after visiting for three months, I was left angry and stunned.
What system they use - I'm not familiar with it. But, will do my best to live there permanently again.

I did. You clearly don't like my answer and appeared to have totally ignored it. If you don't understand my answer, you can just say so instead of looking for an opportunity to bash me.

So you pay less because it funds less.

Hardly! It was a disaster, charging people living at home separate bills...

What people want is lower bills BUT better Council services.

Council tax would be ok if valuations had taken place regularly, so people in areas that have seen massive house price increases paid more and central govt hadn't slashed council funding.

So these tax free countries still raise taxes, just not on individuals? Would you care to share which ones these are?

Just check your own council tax info. It’ll tell you. Freely available. Comes through your front door every year, as well as being online
will vary slightly between LAs so check your own.

how does it still
get found out though? Is someone from the council checking Rightmove listings?

Come on, answer the question

In your zero tax and zero services world how would the military and justice systems work?

As well as our own house, I'm paying £800 a month on my late dad's property because it's empty. Have cleared my savings doing it up to sell (and put so much time into it) but the market is not moving. Reduced the price loads too. But I'm paying double because it's empty. It's breaking us and I resent it so much. Don't use bins, lights, anything.

She is not on her own with that. Lots of studies demonstrate a social construct whereby people accept it and think it is the norm, but we didn't consent to it. It is a form of theft, but simply just authorised by higher authorities

Tax free countries manage just fine (if not better) and taxation doesn't exist. They fund their services via financial trading and different excise duties. In the UK, you get very little back for what you put in.

I had to work in London with my overseas job for a year. I was astounded by the poverty, and basic infrastructure there was nationwide, and worse, people think it is normal and that it is a wealthy nation.

Link?