To be scared about how we will cope with more tax rises - council tax

[partytimed]

i really loathe this government. Usually with politics I feel like whoever is in charge I don’t notice much of a direct impact on my day to day life. Yes I’m aware of slow erosions in public services and I was no fan at all of the tories, I voted for this government im ashamed to say, and they lied and lied about their plans. I am so much worse off and if they double council tax bands virtually all of our disposable income is going to be gone. It feels like theft. I don’t trust them to spend the money I make properly it all feels corrupt and it’s just so depressing and upsetting.

@Gruffporcupinei don't want to 'drag' anyone 'down'. I want a country that works, with decent public services and I want people with the broadest shoulders to pay.

If a single person or couple are rattling around in the family 4 bed home but can't afford the upkeep and tax on it, why shouldn't they move?

A sizeable portion also aren't though and have never contributed anything meaningful to society. Do you really expect people to gladly potentially lose their house to fund these people?

The problem is that once you get to a certain level, based on value, you’re all lumped in one band. So I have seen houses that are almost twice the value of mine in the same band. I will be looking into it but there are many people in the SE in not particularly fancy houses in high bands, purely because of their value.

I’m in a three bed terrace that is band F - but half the street is band G.

Small houses. Not sure why there’s a discrepancy - but they are quite small, the third bedrooms are in the loft. Band G.

Because there is such a thing as private ownership and you can't just introduce excessive taxation at a whim just because you don't think someone should continue to own an asset they have paid for.

Imagine if I went to your house and applied a 50% tax on all clothes beyond a basic wardrobe and all electric goods that weren't basic as I have decided they are excessive and surplus to requirements. Can't you see this would completely change the nature of ownership and fundamentally suggests that the state ultimately can control anything you own?

What improved public services?

The NHS is a shambles and police service in London has been decimated.

This is exactly what I think is happening. Where is the incentive to create wealth if you’re not able to keep any of it for yourself or your family?

Is this for second homes and rentals? Or for any property?
Because if the latter, that is quite crazy, taking into account the price of houses in UK. Is that anything over £160000? As my google search shows?

And what about families? Do you think they have a magic money tree to come up with the extra money? And if they do have the disposable income, what do you think that means for the wider economy? I took our DC for a half term treat at the local bowling alley and soft play. It was dead, never seen it like that in an October half term in all the years we have been going there. Likewise, the pizza place next door, no one in it. Now I’m in a pretty secure role that covers EMEA so I will request a move to a different country if things get really bad. The staff in the bowling alley and the pizza place most likely won’t have that option. These policies have an impact on EVERYONE.

Course you do. You’re not spending your own earned money are you?
You wouldn’t be the one spending thousands of pounds in stamp duty/fees/moving costs selling a house (that is now worth less) you spent 000’s buying because the government has changed policy overnight.
FWIW I can’t imagine this policy will become reality but your attitude is infuriating.

Ok.

I arbitrarily assert that you have the broadest shoulders. You should pay more.

If my google search is not failing me, multimillion properties pay the same council tax than expensive family homes, as they are in the same top council tax band (not that special in expensive cities either).
I think raising the council tax on properties over a million, let's say, could make sense. And it should not be a major hit to those able to afford them. I have not run any maths, so maybe it should be properties over two/ five millions... which are paying a joke as council tax, in comparisson to its general upkeep.

What about families? Where do they magic the money from?

I’d believe that. I’m in a 2 bed flat that is Band D; Some 2 bed houses worth twice as much in my town are Band C.

There are some weird council tax decisions - and yes, I did ask for a band review. Council say they have it right. It’s an issue for everyone on this specific housing estate.

We need to re-stablish the balance between having enough taxes to provide good services and people having money to spend. Obviously. And we are not doing that well, at all. Not only with Labour, but the Tories did break the system while nobody said a word!
I am 100% convinced that the only way forward is to re-structure our services, from scratch and to bring manufacturing back to UK. How are we going to make money if we buy most of our goods from abroad? How do we get that money back?

That’s a greedy private company. Nothing to do with the government

Yes this would be a problem.

there is too much inequality regionally built into the council tax system already so such a tax would be heinously unfair on those of us who live under a high tax council. A band G home in my area (cookie cutter 4 bed on an estate) pays far more than a band G house in some London boroughs as I think a previous poster has already pointed out.

It’s not always those in the south that are paying more.

This is a rumour and nothing more, as is pretty much every news article about the budget.

Why should they have to move?

Losing their home, the support network in their established neighbourhood, the services they are used to?

Why should CT be punitive?
A family with young children use more council services, maybe they should be paying more?

'Broadest shoulders' FFS.

Exactly. I live in the north west in a band G property and pay £430 a month.

Council Tax revenue is spent locally so if you're in a higher tax area then your council will be spending more on your local area on services. You can use local politics to influence who is in power in your council and how money is raised/spent.

In this context, why on earth would you expect someone in London to contribute their council tax towards your area? They will not benefit from any of the spending and can't vote in your local elections. I don't live in London but I can see that it's blatantly unfair.

A band G Westminster property pays less than £1700 per year.

Christ I pay £1k more than that on a band C in the south west! I thought London was supposedly expensive 😂

Many want improved public services but less immigration and welfare claimants. That’s how you pay for it.

Hope that helps

That is exactly what they want to do. And I am sorry to say exactly what you voted for. That is their ideology.