{"id":2601,"date":"2015-06-02T12:07:24","date_gmt":"2015-06-02T12:07:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/3-things-you-should-know-about-council-tax\/"},"modified":"2018-02-21T11:13:35","modified_gmt":"2018-02-21T11:13:35","slug":"3-things-you-should-know-about-council-tax","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/3-things-you-should-know-about-council-tax\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Things You Should Know About Council Tax"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- SEO Ultimate Plus (https:\/\/seoultimateplus.com) - Code Inserter module -->\n<script async>(function(s,u,m,o,j,v){j=u.createElement(m);v=u.getElementsByTagName(m)[0];j.async=1;j.src=o;j.dataset.sumoSiteId='b68b392479b5981b8acf46565e9fe32a0734fc21a1f7c1e60121eaa6ca1a1c64';v.parentNode.insertBefore(j,v)})(window,document,'script','\/\/load.sumo.com\/');<\/script>\n<!-- \/SEO Ultimate Plus -->\n\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/council-tax\/working-out-your-council-tax\" target=\"\">Council Tax<\/a> is the current system of local taxation in the UK. Collected by your local authority, your council tax funds many local government functions including the police, fire service, recycling, refuse collection, street cleaning, museums, planning services, meals on wheels, facilities for young people, social care, and sports facilities.<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Our guide looks at all the essential information you need to know about your <a class=\"wl-entity-page-link\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/council-tax\/\" data-id=\"http:\/\/data.wordlift.io\/wl0502\/entity\/council_tax;http:\/\/rdf.freebase.com\/ns\/m.014ktt;http:\/\/dbpedia.org\/resource\/Council_Tax\" >Council Tax<\/a>.<\/span><\/div>\n<div><b><span style=\"font-size: small;\">How you work out your Council Tax bill<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">In order to work out how much you will pay you will need to know 3 things:\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: small;\">the <a class=\"wl-entity-page-link\" title=\"Valuation (finance)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/valuation-finance\/\" data-id=\"http:\/\/data.wordlift.io\/wl0502\/entity\/valuation_finance;http:\/\/rdf.freebase.com\/ns\/m.01yv7p;http:\/\/yago-knowledge.org\/resource\/Valuation_(finance);http:\/\/dbpedia.org\/resource\/Valuation_(finance)\" >valuation<\/a> band for your <a class=\"wl-entity-page-link\" title=\"homes\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/housing-estate\/\" data-id=\"http:\/\/data.wordlift.io\/wl0502\/entity\/housing_estate;http:\/\/rdf.freebase.com\/ns\/m.01rtvp;http:\/\/dbpedia.org\/resource\/Housing_estate\" >home<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: small;\">how much your local council charges for that band<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: small;\">whether you can get a discount or exemption from the full bill &#8211; for example, people living on their own get a 25 per cent discount<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div>In <a class=\"wl-entity-page-link\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/england\/\" data-id=\"http:\/\/data.wordlift.io\/wl0502\/entity\/england;http:\/\/sws.geonames.org\/6269131\/;http:\/\/openei.org\/resources\/England;http:\/\/yago-knowledge.org\/resource\/England;http:\/\/rdf.freebase.com\/ns\/m.02jx1;http:\/\/dbpedia.org\/resource\/England\" >England<\/a> and <a class=\"wl-entity-page-link\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/scotland\/\" data-id=\"http:\/\/data.wordlift.io\/wl0502\/entity\/scotland;http:\/\/rdf.freebase.com\/ns\/m.06q1r;http:\/\/sws.geonames.org\/2638360\/;http:\/\/yago-knowledge.org\/resource\/Scotland;http:\/\/dbpedia.org\/resource\/Scotland\" >Scotland<\/a>, valuation bands are based on <a class=\"wl-entity-page-link\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/property\/\" data-id=\"http:\/\/data.wordlift.io\/wl0502\/entity\/property;http:\/\/rdf.freebase.com\/ns\/m.05wrt;http:\/\/dbpedia.org\/resource\/Property\" >property<\/a> values on 1 April 1991, not what a property is worth today. In Wales, valuation bands are based on property values on 1 April 2003.<\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">A full Council Tax bill is based on 2 or more adults living in a household. You can apply for a discount if you live on your own, as we see next.<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div><b><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Your sole occupation discount<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">If you count as an adult for Council Tax purposes and you live on your own you will get 25 per cent off your Council Tax bill.<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">You&#8217;ll also get a discount if you live with people who don&#8217;t count as adults for Council Tax. These include 18 and 19 year olds in full-time education, student nurses, some apprentices and children under 18.<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div><b><span style=\"font-size: small;\">You have to pay Council Tax on an empty property<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">You will have to pay Council Tax on an empty and unfurnished home, but you may qualify for a discount. Individual <a class=\"wl-entity-page-link\" title=\"Council house\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/council-house\/\" data-id=\"http:\/\/data.wordlift.io\/wl0502\/entity\/council_house;http:\/\/rdf.freebase.com\/ns\/m.01llhc;http:\/\/yago-knowledge.org\/resource\/Council_house;http:\/\/dbpedia.org\/resource\/Council_house\" >councils<\/a> have different rules about whether you get a discount and, if so, how much.<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">In addition, your council can charge an additional premium of up to 50 per cent if your home has been empty and unfurnished for two years or more (unless its an annexe or you&#8217;re in the armed forces).<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Some homes don&#8217;t get a Council Tax bill for as long as they stay empty. They include <a class=\"wl-entity-page-link\" title=\"Home\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/home\/\" data-id=\"http:\/\/data.wordlift.io\/wl0502\/entity\/home;http:\/\/rdf.freebase.com\/ns\/m.01l0mw;http:\/\/dbpedia.org\/resource\/Home\" >homes<\/a>:<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: small;\">of someone in prison (except for not paying a fine or Council Tax)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: small;\">of someone who&#8217;s moved into a care home or hospital<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: small;\">that have been <a class=\"wl-entity-page-link\" title=\"Repossession\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/repossession\/\" data-id=\"http:\/\/data.wordlift.io\/wl0502\/entity\/repossession;http:\/\/rdf.freebase.com\/ns\/m.0725l2;http:\/\/dbpedia.org\/resource\/Repossession\" >repossessed<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: small;\">that cannot be lived in by law<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: small;\">that are empty because they&#8217;ve been compulsory purchased and will be demolished<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Find <a class=\"wl-entity-page-link\" title=\"House\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/house\/\" data-id=\"http:\/\/data.wordlift.io\/wl0502\/entity\/house;http:\/\/rdf.freebase.com\/ns\/m.03jm5;http:\/\/dbpedia.org\/resource\/House\" >houses<\/a> <a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-for-sale\">for sale\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Nick Marr<\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Council Tax is the current system of local taxation in the UK. Collected by your local authority, your council tax funds many local government functions including the police, fire service, recycling, refuse collection, street cleaning, museums, planning services, meals on<span class=\"ellipsis\">&hellip;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/3-things-you-should-know-about-council-tax\/\">Read more &#8250;<\/a><\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wl_entities_gutenberg":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","spay_email":""},"categories":[15,16],"tags":[],"wl_entity_type":[602],"modified_by":null,"_wl_alt_label":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","wl:entity_url":"http:\/\/data.wordlift.io\/wl0502\/post\/3_things_you_should_know_about_council_tax","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2601"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2601"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2601\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15452,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2601\/revisions\/15452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2601"},{"taxonomy":"wl_entity_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thehouseshop.com\/property-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wl_entity_type?post=2601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}