h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I thought that thing about only registered voters paying council tax was a fallacy. I have occasionally lived somewhere where I have not been registered to vote but have still paid the tax. Wasn't there some stuff in the press before the last election saying that the two were not related to encourage everyone to have their vote?

vestigialk

I think the editor has made that change. In the original entry, it doesn't refer to the poll tax as being the same a the poll tax. However, I think that the poll tax became the council tax, but they are not the same. Council taxes, I think, depend on home ownership, and are based on home value.

I will have to ask the editor to change this.

Council taxes are based on the amount the home was worth but -- here's the catch -- the amount it was worth in 1991. If the home was built after 1991, it is worth the amount that the council assessor thinks it would have been worth in 1991.

In each area there are seven "bands" of property prices (A-G) ranging from cheapest to most expensive and the amount the householder has to pay depends on the band the house is in. People who rent are liable for the council tax on the property they live in. People who live alone can claim a 25% discount.

One can apply to have the value of a house reassessed, but generally only if there has been a "material change in value" to the property i.e. something has been extended or demolished.

I think I heard somewhere that they are going to reassess the property values again with a view to re-banding a lot of properties. Not looking forward to the price hike that will go along with this, added to the expected 10% rise for next year.

k