Council Tax

Well, I guess this is where I get screwed. The apartments are at a Uni college, which is at a prime location and a huge building.

But isn't council tax based on the individual flat not on the whole building?  The flat would be valued much less than the building as a whole.  Maybe I'm wrong here as I don't own a flat, or maybe the flats really are worth an exceptionally large amount of money?

Matt

Well, rubbish I can understand, but since water is charged separately I feel a bit cheated...

The inclusion of water/sewer charges on the council-tax bill is a purely Scottish thing.  In England, you will get a completely separate separate bill for these.

If council tax pays for police & fire services, what does actual income tax money go towards?!

Well, in theory that also helps to pay for police, military, national health, welfare,  and all the other official services.   Mostly though, it just goes into the general bottomless money pit of government waste.        

which looks like 1700 a year. Hmm... DAMN expensive, if you ask me! 

And if you ask most people here.      In the 9 years I've lived in my present home the council tax has doubled, and similar increases are not at all unusual right across the country.  We're not getting anything more for our money than we did 9 years ago. 

Council tax is well on the way to being hated as much as the failed "poll tax," which led to riots.

Certainly, a studio apartment shouldn't be in Band H unless the walls are made of gold!

Agreed!   Band H for a tiny apartment is ridiculous, even in an expensive area.   If it is so  rated, then it's time for an appeal.

Same goes for Band D which is sort of considered the middle-band, house worth £75,000 in 1991 and house worth £200,000 in 2005 would probably both be in Band D so your property that has gained £125,000 in the past 15 years still ends up in the same band.  Or am I being naive about this?

Well, we're told that the revaluation should have little to no effect on middle-range homes, while reducing the tax for lower-band homes and increasing it for higher bands.   

Whether that's how it turns out in the end is anybody's guess.

Also, how will I go about this? Whom do I need to contact, or will I simply get a letter telling me to pay?

Oh, you'll receive a letter all right.  It will pretty much say "Pay up now or we'll send Louie and the boys round!" 

Well, maybe not quite that strong  , but you'll be left in no doubt that the council wants your money.   I'm not certain about when you're renting, but I think technically you are supposed to notify the council that you're there, although your landlord may well do so anyway. 

One way or another you'll get the bill......

...and trying to get the exemption for being a student can be frustrating.  They request paperwork - you send it in - they write you again, asking for another paper - you send it in - they send you another letter....well, you get the idea!  It just goes round and round, and I think they want you to get so frustrated that you just give up and pay it all.  This happens every single year!  Just be ready for the game and then maybe it won't frustrate you as much as it did me the first year!

We live in Kewstoke, just outside of Weston Super-Mare, and pay 244 pounds pcm (no pound symbol on my American keyboard). We are in band G. It was a huge shock.

I've often wondered about the 'fairness' of students being exempt from the council tax...

But students do *use* the services that the tax pays for, so why shouldn't they also have to pay?

I've often wondered about the 'fairness' of students being exempt from the council tax...

But students do *use* the services that the tax pays for, so why shouldn't they also have to pay?

I agree, especially when pensioners on a fixed income who literally cannot get another job to generate income, have to pay full whack.   Students would get the single discount anyway, if they're unmarried, so I don't see why they should be exempt.

When I was a full time student who couldn't work more than 20 hours a week because of visa restrictions, no council tax was a blessing.  I was in Band C and would've owed about £160pcm that I couldn't afford. 

When I was a full time student who couldn't work more than 20 hours a week because of visa restrictions, no council tax was a blessing.  I was in Band C and would've owed about £160pcm that I couldn't afford. 

This isn't directed at you personally, Kristi... just about 'students' in general...
If you can't afford to pay your living expenses (which council tax is/should be a part of), then you should be working instead of studying... shouldn't you??
Doesn't this seem right?

(edited to add:) Perhaps a better way would be if council tax was means tested based on income/ability to pay?  Seems like it would be more fair... but also potentially easier to fiddle. 

...and trying to get the exemption for being a student can be frustrating.  They request paperwork - you send it in - they write you again, asking for another paper - you send it in - they send you another letter....well, you get the idea! 

You get exactly the same bureaucratic roundabout if you live alone and apply for the 25% discount.    For crying out loud, how many times do they need to ask for your name. address, national insurance number, and evidence of identity?     

My local council is so d*** useless that in the last couple of years I've ended up with two court summonses for non payment because they lost the paperwork.  (Funny how it takes them 6 months to process the rebate but they can get a summons on the way in two days from the due date.)     

The second time I was so furious that after getting absolutely nowhere on the phone I just drove the 20 miles to the office, put on a I'm-not-going-to-be-messed-around attitude, dumped the inch-thick wad of letters, forms, and other paperwork on the desk and demanded that it be sorted out "right now."     

Judging by the raised voices and occasional outbursts such as "But I've already done that!" and "I sent it to you two months ago" from adjacent cubicles, I was not alone.

Still, I guess my bill is still low compared to some, but the rate at which it's rising these days can be seen from the following:

2002/03   £647
2003/04   £747
2004/05   £797
2005/06   £822

And that's band A (we're rather fortunate in being what the council regards as "non conventional housing" around here so we're in lower bands than would otherwise be the case).   As for services, pretty much all we get is refuse collection.

Perhaps a better way would be if council tax was means tested based on income/ability to pay? 

Council-tax benefit is available to certain people on low income or with certain living expenses.   It's worth getting the forms from your local council and applying if you think you might qualify.   The worst that can happen is they refuse.   

Be prepared for an encyclopedia-sized application requesting precise details of everything you've ever done since the age of 16 though.....   

Well, rubbish I can understand, but since water is charged separately I feel a bit cheated...
If council tax pays for police & fire services, what does actual income tax money go towards?!

 

Local (city/state) income tax paid for that in the US. There is no local income tax in the UK.

just about 'students' in general...
If you can't afford to pay your living expenses (which council tax is/should be a part of), then you should be working instead of studying... shouldn't you??

Many could argue that an education can get you a better paying job or a job that requires education like teachers, doctors, social workers etc. and why shouldn't these people get a temporary break? Students don't like to be poor and many like to get out as fast as they can. With a higher paying salary, people can spend more in the economy... consumerism! So theoretically, in the long run they help society instead of draining its resources.

Local (city/state) income tax paid for that in the US. There is no local income tax in the UK.

Some states have no state income tax:  AK, FL, NV, SD, TX, WA, WY.   (NH & TN restrict it to dividend and interest income).

http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/ind_inc.html

Don't local property taxes also go toward local services as well?   

Students don't like to be poor and many like to get out as fast as they can. With a higher paying salary, people can spend more in the economy... consumerism! So theoretically, in the long run they help society instead of draining its resources.

NO ONE likes being poor.  In fact, some of us can't afford to go to school full-time (and don't care to borrow loads of money to fund a break from the real world), so we do our degrees part-time and work full-time as well.  Thus, we are students who also get to pay full council tax.  Being a full-time student is voluntary.  Can't afford living expenses like council tax b/c you're a full-time student?  Find another job, borrow more money, or go part-time, to OU, etc. 

I see no reason why anyone who is physically and mentally able to work should be exempted.

Many could argue that an education can get you a better paying job or a job that requires education like teachers, doctors, social workers etc. and why shouldn't these people get a temporary break? Students don't like to be poor and many like to get out as fast as they can. With a higher paying salary, people can spend more in the economy... consumerism! So theoretically, in the long run they help society instead of draining its resources.

I agree with a temporary break as well. There should be an age cap though (22/23ish) so some don't take advantage of an exemption. On the flip side, I think pensioners should be exempt. Yes, I know my proposal would raise those not in the two groups through the roof.  Solution - stop paying for flats for seventeen yr old CHAVS who find themselves pregnant or folks like the brother of someone I work with, he is able bodied and doesn't work. The council pays the rent on his mother's house (where he lives/she is living abroad. Excuse "he has a son to raise"  What the heck?, the son is 10 yrs old, like he can't work while the son is in school?