Council tax bill

[ffsgiveitarest]

Please can someone advise me how council tax bills work when you move address (within same borough), does the council bill you from the move in date up to March 24 and expect you to pay double monthly payments as it’s less than 12 months?

I’ve just got my bill from 31/10/23 and my payments have more than doubled as they’ve calculated 3 instalments (Dec, Jan and Feb) and now I’m an anxious mess as I simply can’t afford for it to increase so much, so have paid what I can this month (which is more than I was paying)

also please can anyone advise if they deduct the last payment I made at the old address (tenancy ended 02/11 and tenancy started 01/11 and made payment for old address on 07/11) from the new bill or is that for the old bill?

the bill I’ve received is also wrong and they haven’t closed the bill for the old address (no single occupancy has been applied to the new bill) so I’ve contacted the council about that (but I can’t get any answers today as they are closed) 😭😭

The chargeable period will be split over the remaining payments. Normally this is 10 months for the full year, so may not include Feb and March. That may be negotiable for a payment plan.

Are you moving in to a property that comes under a different Band?

For us, we got a refund for the overpayment from old house straight into our bank account.
But, yes, the first few payments on the new house were £££ because it's usually only paid in 10 months. If you start at this time of year there is some catch up to do to get Feb and March paid for.

does the council bill you from the move in date up to March 24 and expect you to pay double monthly payments as it’s less than 12 months

No of course not, that would be ridiculous. You'll pay 7 months in your old property and 5 months in your new property. The change over might be complicated if you pay over 10 months and the houses are in different bands but it will get worked out. Just tell them that you moved on X date and you're not liable for your old house since then and you need to pay for the rest of the year only for your new place.

I’ve just looked at the bill online, I applied for DD instalments over 12 months and payments are now showing as 4 instalments (Dec, Jan, Feb and Mar).

The bill still needs updating with the single occupancy discount, and the payment I’ve made isn’t yet showing, so won’t be as bad. But it still means I’ll have paid nearly £200 more this month on bloody council tax which isn’t something I need right now 😭😭😭

The council tax band is higher so did expect an increase, but not nearly £300 per month for the rest of the tax year….

The increase is about £20 per month over the year.

note to self not to move out this time of year again, but didn’t have much choice as the landlord is selling 😭

They should refund any overpayment on previous property.

Have you reapplied for single occupancy discount for the new property? The council don't automatically know that you are still a sole occupier - you might have moved in with a partner.

You will pay council tax for the length of your agreed tenancy as you signed up for that period. If they have taken more then you need to ring council. Most councils bill over 10 months not 12 but if you specifically ask for 12 monthly payments I think most councils will agree provided you set up a direct debit.

You in effect pay council tax by the day, so should get a refund of what you have overpaid for the old house. The council seem to be billing correctly for the remainder of the tax year - as in there are 4 months left. So the amount you owe from move in date is split in four. If you had an overlap you would be liable for both houses just for that period.

You just need to remind them of your single occupancy - I had to do the same. Told them at the time of move, got a bill for full amount, told them again and then got a corrected one a few days later. They'll sort it, but if they are like my council they just might not be very efficient about it! :)

The home move form asked details of who was moving in, but I’ve also now applied for the single occupancy discount and 12 month instalments since they issued the bill. (The council do both 10 and 12 month instalments)

I’ve checked the bills online, the old bill hasn’t been closed, and the new bill is now showing as 4 payments. I’ll try and speak to them on Monday (or hopefully they’ll respond to my million of emails I’ve sent lol)