How can i avoid paying council tax

Unoccupied and unfurnished property that requires or is undergoing major repairs. Unoccupied property owned by a charity and last used for charitable purposes. Can be granted for up to 6 months after the property first becomes unoccupied. Unoccupied and unfurnished property. Unoccupied property where the sole liable person is being held in detention. Unoccupied property which when last occupied was the sole or main residence of a single occupier who is now permanently resident in a hospital or care home.

Unoccupied property where probate or letters of administration have not yet been granted. Can also apply for up to 6 months after probate or letters of administration have been granted, providing the property remains unoccupied. Unoccupied property which is prohibited by law from being occupied. This includes planning restrictions. Unoccupied property vacated by a sole liable person who has since been living elsewhere in order to receive care. Unoccupied property vacated by a sole liable person who has since been living elsewhere to provide care to someone else.

Unoccupied property vacated by a sole liable person who is a student and who has left the property to live elsewhere in order to attend college or university. Unoccupied annexe to at least one other property that cannot be let separately without breaching planning control. Property occupied only by people who are severely mentally impaired and who would otherwise be liable to pay the council tax.

Property where a non-British diplomat who is not a permanent resident of the UK would otherwise be liable to pay the council tax. Occupied annexe to at least one other property which is the sole or main residence of an elderly or disabled dependant relative. If your bill shows you have received a reduction to which you are not entitled or your circumstances change so that you are no longer entitled, you must tell us within 21 days of the date on the bill.

Save time by reporting a change of address or applying for discounts or exemptions now. If you think your bill is wrong or have any other queries, use our enquiry form. Contact us. Coronavirus Vaccination and testing information and other help and support. Coronavirus — do you need financial help?

Home Council tax. Forms to apply for certain reductions are available on this page. On this page: Single person discount Disregard discounts Full-time students Disabled band reduction Care leavers' reduction Annexes Unoccupied properties Council tax exemptions Let us know of any errors or changes of circumstance.

Apply for or cancel a single person discount Disregard discounts You may also qualify for a discount if either all or all but one of the residents are disregarded, that means: not included in the calculation of the council tax amount payable. For further information regarding discounts, please contact us on Categories of people who may qualify to be disregarded include: most full-time students people who live with and care for someone else young people for whom child benefit is payable people under 25 who receive training under the national traineeship scheme apprentices student nurses foreign language assistants people who leave school after 30 April and start a course of further education before 30 October of the same year people who are detained in prison or under the Mental Health Acts patients who live in a hospital, care-home, nursing home or mental nursing home residents of night shelters or hostels members of religious communities who have no income or savings for example, monks and nuns diplomats and their spouses, if not a British citizen people who are severely mentally impaired care workers employed via a charity or local authority If all residents are full-time students or severely mentally impaired, the property will be exempt.

Apply for a disregard discount Full-time students Generally full-time students are not liable for council tax. Contact the local council where your holiday home or second home is, and ask them if you can get a discount. You won't pay any council tax on the annexe if a dependant family member lives there.

You must be able to show that a disabled person lives in the property to claim a reduction. The property must also have either:. The council will charge the rate for a lower council tax band instead. If the property is in band D, the council tax bill will be worked out as if it were in band C. This reduction also applies to dwellings in band A.

You can write to your local council and explain your complaint. They should get back to you within 2 months. If you get benefits or have other people living with you, this might affect how much your council tax is reduced by. They will then work out your new bill and tell you how much council tax you need to pay. If you have other people living with you who are aged 18 or over, you might all be responsible for paying council tax.

Only one of you needs to apply for CTR. If you're awarded CTR, you won't normally get an actual payment. The council will reduce the amount of council tax you have to pay. If you've recently returned to the UK after a period of living or working abroad you might have difficulty showing that you are habitually resident.

The working age rules still apply if you've reached State Pension age and you or your partner get:. If you've reached State Pension age and don't get any of these benefits, the 'pension age rules' apply. If you have a partner, the council will also include their income. If another adult lives with you the council might reduce how much CTR you get. This is because some adults are expected to pay towards your household bills.

The council won't reduce how much CTR you get if the other adult is your partner, or if they're also responsible for paying council tax. You can find out about applying for CTR. You might be able to appeal to a valuation tribunal. If the tribunal agree with you they can order your council to reduce or even cancel your council tax bill.

You can find out more about how to appeal. You should use your local council's own complaints process first. If you're not happy with the council's response you might be able to complain to the Local Government Ombudsman. You can apply for a backdated exemption only if the following conditions existed If a property was unoccupied and substantially unfurnished, an exemption could apply for a maximum of six months from the date it became both empty and unfurnished only up to 1 April Only one six month exemption could apply to a property regardless of change of owners For new properties the exemption applied from the date on the completion notice.

Apply for a backdated council tax exemption for unfurnished and unoccupied property Class C Class D Empty as liable person being in prison or detained in hospital. Property must be unoccupied, but need not be unfurnished. The liable person is in prison or in detention elsewhere i. Apply online for council a tax exemption Class E Empty property previously occupied by a person now residing in a care home, hospital or hostel.

The empty property must previously have been the sole or main residence for the absent person. The absent person must have been living in a care home, hostel or hospital for the entire period since he or she was last living in the property. Apply online for council a tax exemption Class F Liable person deceased. It is important that the executor s keep the council tax office informed of: the date probate is granted,details of the transfer or sale of the property or the end date of the tenancy, when the estate is settled.

There are rules about sole beneficiaries and how council tax is charged. Apply online for a single adult occupier discount This is a general guide to council tax and deceased persons, and is not a substitute for the relevant statutes and regulations.

Apply online for council a tax exemption Class G Occupation prohibited by law. The property must be unoccupied and unfurnished. Occupation must be prohibited by law including a closing order or demolition order or kept unoccupied by reason of action taken under powers granted by or under any Act of Parliament with a view to prohibiting its occupation or to acquiring it such as a compulsory purchase order.

The exemption does not apply to actions between individuals or companies under contract law such as restriction orders and does not apply if the property is occupied by squatters who choose to occupy even though prohibited by law. Apply online for council a tax exemption Class H Held for Minister of religion. The property must be unoccupied, but need not be unfurnished. It must be held available for occupation by a Minister of any religious denomination, for the purpose of allowing him or her to perform the duties of office.

Apply online for council a tax exemption Class I Person living elsewhere to receive personal care. Apply online for council a tax exemption Class J Person living elsewhere to provide personal care.

The liable person must have changed main residence for the purpose providing care for someone else and be better able to provide this care from their new home. The reasons care is required are same as class I above Apply online for council a tax exemption Class K Left empty by a student.

Property must be unoccupied but need not be unfurnished and an exemption only applies where the last resident was a student or if more than one, they were all students and the owner is a student. The property must have been the sole or main residence of the owner up to the date it was last occupied. However an exemption does not apply if any non-students lived in the property.

Apply online for council a tax exemption Class L Mortgagee in possession. Property must be unoccupied but need not be unfurnished and must have been repossessed by the mortgagee the lender of money. Apply online for council a tax exemption Class M Students' halls of residence. Property must be provided predominantly for the accommodation of students and owned or managed by an educational institution.

Apply online for council a tax exemption Class N Occupied only by students or students and their non-British spouses or dependants. The liable person s must hold a freehold or leasehold interest or a licence to occupy the whole or part of the dwelling and must be living in the property as term-time address accommodation or have been previously used or have intention to use the dwelling as term-time accommodation.

The exemption includes non-British spouses, civil partners or dependants of students who are prevented by the terms of their entry visa to the UK from taking paid employment or claiming benefits. For more information about students and to apply for an exemption visit Council tax and students Apply for a student exemption Class O UK armed forces accommodation. This applies to living accommodation for UK armed forces which is owned by the Secretary of State for Defence and must be held for the purposes of armed forces accommodation.

The exemption applies whether the property is occupied or not. Apply online for council a tax exemption Class P Visiting forces accommodation.