Council tax

[fridayyay4]

It’s the biggest bill for most people after rent or mortgage. It goes up every year by quite a bit, at least £100+. And yet it doesn’t get the publicity in the same way energy bills do? Which go up and down, you can switch or control your usage to an extent.

I know councils need money for essential services. I know they have a lot of strain and the money needs to come from somewhere. But let’s face it, the way it’s calculated based on 1991 rates is outdated and unfair. For example I’m in a new build 2 bed property and a Band D, my neighbour is in a 4 bed house built in the 80s which has a garden double the size and a Band C. His house is valued at £100k more than mine. I’ve tried to appeal my banding but they said based on comparing my house price to 1991, band D is correct. But house prices have changed a lot since then, especially in the south east. If I’m a Band D my neighbour should be an E, but they benefit as their house was banded in 1991.

I don’t understand why the big rises are accepted every year with minimal complaints, whereas energy bills, TV licence etc get lots of publicity. Is it because lots of people don’t pay council tax, or get big reductions?

Agree OP. It should be replaced by a new tax that every citizen pays irrespective of age, income, home ownership. If it was fixed at a low anount £100 Councils would still receive more money than now. The problem with council tax is that too many are exempt etc yet they are often the ones that use the services.

Like the Poll Tax? 🤣 (or Community Charge to give it the proper Conservative and Unionist name) that went well, although it did finally remove the worst PM of all time.

Yes but the people who objected were the ones who underpaid. The other possibility is to introduce a pay per use system.

The current system used isn't actually the problem. The problem is the unbelievable waste in so many councils (mine is a prime example, spent £2m refurbishing one street for delusions of grandeur which already looks wrecked because crime is the actual issue not the plants or how posh the benches look........) and every year they apply the maximum possible increase, yet services decline. Council mismanagement and incompetence is the root issue.

I thought it went a long time before Liz Truss?

🥬 Liz was number two (💩)in my lifetime 😉

YANBU, the bandings round here are crazy. My 2 bed flat is in band F while 4 bed houses worth 3 times are much are in D! All the newer builds locally are in disproportionately high bands compared to older properties of similar size and value. Something has gone very wrong in the back-dating of values! And don't get me started on the 25% single person discount!!

Honestly I really reset paying it when there’s no tangible benefit for the local community! Roads are in a shocking state, no provisions for children + the elderly, public services are run to the bone etc - yet we’re paying astronomical amounts into council buildings / pensions / staffing costs / consulting etc.

Want to show your working?

We currently pay about £1500 pa for two of us and that's for a band A house. If we paid £200 instead, then that's going to be a massive reduction in council revenue.

Even if you mean £100 pp per month it's probably not going to be an increase, because currently council tax probably averages more than that.

But to answer the OPs point, I don't think people complain as vocally because they know they can't do much about it. Except there are reductions for people on low incomes. Also, utilities have increased far more over the last few years, they used to a lot less than council tax, now they're comparable.

There is a lot that is unfair about council tax and it was brought in. by land owners (originally rates) to shunt the payments to others . Its a regressive tax.

its not the the second biggest household expense, its a a tax so not a bill that you can choose to pay or not. Car ownership is the second biggest bill in most households and that really is another very big con - successive governments have ensured you need a car to get around, apart from in some major cities. Means that the car industry is kept boyant

There is a woman in TikTok who explains in great detail why council tax is a big rip off and histricly why it came about Better policy with posts like the biggest tax dodge of all time, what is land tax value. This tiktoc person knows her oats and is on a mission to get council tax changed

Because a 5% rise is about £10 a month for 10 months each year. I'd rather my council had the money.

If they moved to £100pa per adult, my council would be £2,250 down on the year, just on my house.
If you mean £100 a month, the council would only be £1,150pa down. Clearly that won't work.

I accept services need paying for. The UK would not accept the poll tax. This is the alternative.

I accept services need paying for. The UK would not accept the poll tax. This is the alternative.

Things have moved on. Why would it not be acceptable now?

I agree, every adult should contribute the same.

It should either be the poll tax or part of income tax and I can never decide which.. but the current system is just awful

Probably because there's lots of young adults still living with their parents, or young people in house shares, who would see an enormous increase in what they have to pay compared with council tax.

Council tax in principle isn't 'awful' as aligning it with house value is a rough proxy for income, although obviously there are outliers, the classic ones being the 'poor widows' with low incomes in family homes, but they are usually sitting on significant wealth so have options not available to young renters with student loan repayments, childcare costs etc.

How long do those in large houses have to service non council tax payers who are premium users of Council services. There has to be a balance.

Council Tax is poor value for money especially for single people who are overtly subsidising families with children. The discount should be 50% for a single person.

I’d be all in favour of a flat rate per adult in a household (with relevant exemptions). No idea what the maths would need to be but £1200 per adult, per year for example would be fairer. We currently are £2700 ish for our house but when ex moves out next month I’ll be paying £2025 which is a lot for half the rubbish etc.

The inconsistencies in banding is wild, currently house hunting and the same size houses (2-3 beds) in the same area go from B to E.

It’s too outdated now & should be a property tax

Agreed. I remember years ago when I split with my ex and moved to a 2 bed flat, suddenly paying more council tax alone than my old neighbours who were a family of four, in their 3 bedroom, 2 public room house worth half as much again as my flat. Just because my flat was newer and so banded differently. As a single parent with 25% discount, my council tax is still higher than our food budget each month.