Council Tax FAQs
- What is council tax?
- Who has to pay council tax?
- How much do I have to pay?
- Can I get some help with paying council tax?
- How can I pay?
- Why do I have to pay over 10 months
- What can I do if I can't pay my bill?
- What happens if I don't pay?
- I'm moving, what do I need to do?
Financial questions and answers
The following questions and answers have been designed to try and answer many of the standard questions that past experience has shown our users ask when new tax bills are issued.
- Why is Haringey not increasing the Council Tax this year?
- What Services does the Greater London Authority (GLA) provide?
- How much of my council tax goes on Haringey Services and how much on the Greater London Authority (GLA)?
- How much of Haringey services are paid for by council tax?
- How is the spending on services of £494.7m split?
- Why are Alexandra Palace costs not shown in the booklet?
What is council tax?
Council Tax is a property based tax which was introduced on 1 April 1993 to replace Community Charge. The Primary Legislation relating to council tax is contained within the Local Government Finance Act 1992. Further information can be found on the UK Statute Law Database (see the external links section below).
Who has to pay council tax?
Council Tax is paid by home owners or tenants.
We work out who has to pay by seeing who comes first in the following list:
- A freeholder who lives in the property
- A leaseholder who lives in the property
- A tenant who lives in the property
- Someone who has a license to live in the property
- Any other person (including squatters) who lives in the property
- The owner of an unoccupied property
If you do not live in your home but own it or have a tenancy of six months or more, you must still pay council tax if your property is:
- Empty
- A second home
- A care home, nursing home or hostel
- Lived in by more than one household (known as 'Houses in Multiple Occupation' HMO)
- Lived in by a minister of religion or a religious community
- Sometimes used by an employer whose staff live at the property
Joint Liability
More than one person may be jointly liable for council tax if they live in the property and are joint owners or tenants. Residents who are married or live together as a couple (single sex and opposite sex) will also be jointly liable.
Joint Liability means that each individual is responsible for the whole amount of council tax due for the property.
|Back to topHow much will I have to pay?
The council tax you pay depends on the value of the property in April 1991, as set by the Government's Valuation Office Agency (VOA) not the council.
Every property is in one of eight valuation bands (A to H). The amount of council tax payable for each dwelling is calculated with reference to the eight valuation bands.
View the council tax charges per band for properties within Haringey.
For further information regarding the band of your property, please visit the Directgov website (external link).
|Back to topCan I get some help with paying council tax?
There are several ways we may be able to reduce your council tax bill, these include:
Your bill will show you if we have already given you any reductions. If your circumstances change during the year, this may affect your entitlement to a discount or exemption. You must notify us of any change to allow the council to independently verify the position. If this does not happen any claim may not be dealt with retrospectively. If we know that your discount or exemption is due to end we will send you a revised council tax bill nearer the time, telling you the revised amount to pay.
|Back to topWhy do I have to pay over 10 months?
The legislation that covers the setting and collection of council tax states that payment of council tax is due over 10 monthly instalments if the council tax demand is issued on or before 30 April. Any demands issued or recalculated after then will be payable over the number of months left in that financial year, usually ending in February.
The facility to extend an instalment plan on an account can only be made by the council and is not a payment option that you can make. However, if an alternative arrangement is agreed for the financial year there is no guarantee that it will be agreed in the future.
Within Haringey, payment over twelve months is offered to those willing to pay by direct debit. There are sound financial reasons for this. Direct debit is a simple and convenient way of paying and is by far the cheapest for you and the council. It helps lower the cost of collection which makes more money available for the services we all need. Once set up, payment is collected automatically. It is also the only method of payment which gives you a choice of payment date, either 1st or 15th of each month.
|Bach to topWhat can I do if I can't pay my bill?
Please contact us straight away if you cannot pay or are falling behind with your payments. We will do all we can to help you. The sooner you get in touch, the more help and advice we will be able to offer.
Confidential debt counselling is available from Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB). There are two CAB's in Haringey (note the Hornsey CAB office is currently closed to personal callers).
- Tottenham Citizens Advice Bureau - 551B Tottenham High Road, N17 6SB
- Turnpike Lane Citizens Advice Bureau - 14A Willoughby Road, Hornsey, London, N8 0JJ
Opening times,and further information can be found on the Citizens Advice Bureau website (see the external links section below) or by phoning 0844 8269715.
|Back to topWhat happens if I don't pay?
We take late and non payment very seriously. If you do not pay your instalments on or before the due date you run the risk of falling into arrears and losing the right to pay by instalments. we will take action to recover the amount you owe.
Firstly, we'll send you a reminder notice which must be paid within seven days. A maximum of two reminders will be sent to you in any one year. If you do not pay within seven days, we will send you a court summons. If it is necessary to issue a summons for late or non payment, you will incur costs of £125.00.
It is important that you contact us as soon as possible by emailing the council tax team at council.tax@haringey.gov.uk or calling 020 8489 1000 if you are having difficulties in meeting your monthly instalments. We will review your circumstances and advise you how to repay the amount owed. We will also look at ways to reduce the amount payable by way of reductions. If you fail to do so it is likely that recovery action will be taken against you and this will include additional costs of £125.00 to you.
If it is necessary for us to issue a summons against you for late or non payment, we will apply for a liability order against you. This hearing takes place in a Magistrates' Court. If this happens you must pay the full amount due, plus costs. You will no longer be entitled to pay by instalments.
Once a liability order is granted we can take further recovery action against you such as:
- declare you bankrupt in court (this will mean you won't be able to get a loan, a mortgage or a bank account)
- send bailiffs to take away goods to the value of the money you owe
- get your employers to take the money from your earnings
- deduct amounts from your benefits in respect of council tax arrears
- ask the Magistrates' Court to consider sending you to prison
Please remember that we will take action against those who wilfully withhold or avoid payment of council tax, the results of which can include the loss of your home.
To avoid unnecessary action being taken against you, you must pay your council tax on time. If you get a letter from us but can't pay, contact us as soon as you can and we'll do our best to help you. Do not ignore the letter!
For more information on recovery of council tax, please visit the recovery page.
|Back to topI'm moving, what do I need to do?
If you are moving, please let us know as soon as possible with the details of your occupation or vacation, including the names of the people moving into or out of the address so that we can change your account quickly.
You can complete an online change of address form , write to us at Benefits and Local Taxation Division, P O Box 10505, Wood Green, London, N22 7WJ or email council.tax@haringey.gov.uk or just ring us on 020 8489 1000.
|Back to topWhy is Haringey not increasing the Council Tax this year?
The Council recognises, together with many other London Councils, that residents are also facing financial pressures/hardships whilst the economy is going through a very difficult period. Central Government have also acknowledged this and have set aside a specific grant to support local authorities to hold down Council Tax in 2012-13. As Haringey has elected to freeze Council Tax in 2012-13 it is eligible for £2.5m of this specific grant funding.
|Back to topWhat services does the Greater London Authority (GLA) provide?
The Greater London Authority provides London wide services which include:-
- Metropolitan Police Authority
- Transport for London
- London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority
- It also includes the contribution agreed with Government towards delivering a successful 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Games in London.
Further information relating to these services can be found in the booklet sent with your Council Tax bill Council Guide including your A to Z of council services and council tax 2012-13 (PDF 2,226KB)
More information is available on the budget and GLA activities as a whole on the GLA website (external link) or can contact the GLA direct on 0207 983 4000.
|Back to topHow much of my council tax goes on Haringey services and how much on the Greater London Authority (GLA)?
The amount depends on what band your home is in. The following table sets out the different amounts for each home.
Valuation Band | Total Council Tax £ | Haringey Services £ | Greater London Authority £ |
|---|---|---|---|
A | 994.04 | 789.56 | 204.48 |
B | 1,159.70 | 921.14 | 238.56 |
C | 1,325.37 | 1,052.73 | 272.64 |
D | 1,491.04 | 1,184.32 | 306.72 |
E | 1,822.27 | 1,447.39 | 374.88 |
F | 2,153.74 | 1,710.70 | 443.04 |
G | 2,485.07 | 1,973.87 | 511.20 |
H | 2,982.09 | 2,368.65 | 613.44 |
On a Band D home the total Council Tax payable of £1,491.04 will be split as follows:-
- Haringey Services £1,184.32 (79%)
- Greater London Authority £306.72 (21%)
How much of Haringey services are paid for by council tax?
The Haringey part of your Council Tax will raise £103 million to go towards Council Services. This is around 21% of the total net cost. Approximately 35% of Haringey services are paid for by other government grant (including Formula grant), 44% from dedicated schools grant.
£m | % |
|
|---|---|---|
| Council Tax | 103.0 | 21 |
| Government Grants | 175.4 | 35 |
| Dedicated schools grant | 216.3 | 44 |
| Total cost of Services provided by Haringey | 494.7 | 100 |
How is the spending on services of £494.7m split?
The table shows how the budget is split.
| Service | Net Spending £m |
|---|---|
| Adults & Housing | 86.3 |
| Children and Young People's (inc. schools) | 277 |
| Place and Sustainability | 41.8 |
| Public Health | 0.8 |
| Corporate Resources | 29.6 |
| Chief Executive's Office | 10 |
| Capital Financing and other Non service Revenue | 49.2 |
| Total | 494.7 |
Why are Alexandra Palace costs not shown in the booklet?
Government fixes much of the information set out in the booklet and how it is presented. If you would like further information on Alexandra Palace accounts we will be happy to send you our ‘Statement of Accounts’.
|Back to topFor more information on budget issues, please either email the Budget Team or telephone 020 8489 3720.
İlişik Dosyalar
Useful External Links
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