Usually one person, called the ‘liable person’, has to pay council tax. Nobody under the age of 18 can be a liable person. Couples living together will both be ‘jointly and severally liable’ – this means they are responsible as a couple but also individually.
What happens if you’re in debt with Council Tax?
If you’ve missed a Council Tax payment, you’re in ‘arrears’ – this means you owe money to your council. You’ll have to pay court costs and possibly bailiff fees as well as your debt, which can add hundreds of pounds to your bill. Council Tax arrears is a ‘priority debt’.
How long can you be chased for a Council Tax debt?
6 years
This means that councils are within their rights to collect debts owed to them for an unlimited amount of time. It is true that the council can only pursue a debt for 6 years after the last contact with you.
Can I write off Council Tax debt?
Can council tax arrears be written off? Councils have the power to write off council tax bills and arrears. However, many will only do so where there is severe hardship. Each council has their own policy.
What happens if you don’t pay your council tax?
made mistakes in dealing with your payments (such as failing to credit them to your account, allocating them to the wrong account, or failing to pay in council tax support you have been awarded)
What did the Council Tax Ombudsman say about Miss y?
The Ombudsman did not uphold the complaint. Miss Y had not made payments. The council had added costs and fees properly, and there was no fault in the amount it wanted in instalments from Miss Y. Most councils have lots of information on council tax on their own websites.
What to do if you are in council tax arrears?
Ask to speak to someone in the Council Tax office and tell them about your situation. If you ignore Council Tax arrears, it’s likely your council will take you to court quickly to get all the money at once. You’ll have to pay court costs and possibly bailiff fees as well as your debt, which can add hundreds of pounds to your bill.
Who is not counted as an adult for council tax?
These people are not counted as adults for Council Tax: young people under 25 who get funding from the Skills Funding Agency or Young People’s Learning Agency live-in carers who look after someone who is not their partner, spouse, or child under 18
