Council Tax

What is Council Tax?

It is a charge made by the local authority (council) on every flat/house/home. It is used to pay for local services (e.g street lighting and maintenance, schools, rubbish collection). Generally, the larger /more expensive the house, the higher the tax. Every April the Council Tax bill is sent out to each property. It can be paid in one payment, or paid through monthly installments.

Who has to pay?

Most people over the age of 18 are liable to pay Council Tax.

The exceptions are:

Full time students living in privately rented accommodation

However you will probably have to pay if:

Your full-time course is less than 24 weeks duration
You have finished your course
Between courses
Before you start your course
You have suspended from your course (if in this situation please seek advice)

2. Full-time students living in Halls of Residence

(Students living in University family accommodation may not be eligible if the course is not full-time)

3.

Living with non-students?

If you are living in a property with people who are not full time students, they may have to pay Council Tax. If there is only one non-student in the property, s/he will receive a 25% discount on their Council Tax bill. If there are two or more non-students, the full amount will apply. They may be able to claim Council Tax Benefit if on a low income/benefits.

How do I let the Council know that I am a student?

When your tenancy begins inform your local Council Tax Office that you are now living in the house (your landlord may do this). To claim student exemption write a letter providing your full name and the address of your property, explain you are registered at the Uni-versity of Reading and provide the photocopy of your University of Reading Access card (your library card).

What happens if I do not pay my council tax?

If you have to pay Council Tax and have not made any effort to pay your bill, you will be sent a letter asking you to pay the full amount. If the bill is still not paid, a reminder notice will be sent to you. If you do not contact the Council Tax Office to arrange payment after receiving a reminder notice, you will be sent a court summons. This will happen even if you are eligible to claim exemption but haven't yet done so. If you receive a court summons, do not ignore it, even if you are exempt from paying Council Tax! Either contact the Council Tax Office immediately, or seek advice from the RUSU Student Advice team. Once a court order has been applied for by your Council, they have a number of options to enforce payment; these are; Apply for an attachment to earnings order. Arrange for a Bailiff to the property to recover and sell property. It is possible to be sent to prison for up to three months, but only if, non-payment was due to “wilful refusal or culpable neglect”.

Part-time students and Council Tax Benefit (CTB)

Most full-time students cannot apply for CTB. However, part-time students and non-student partners or housemates on a low income may be eligible to apply for CTB. If you think you could be eligible, you will need to apply to your local council for CTB. Dependents of international students A dependent spouse of an international student will not have to pay Council Tax, providing s/he is not an EEA citizen and his/her UK immigration stamp/sticker states that he/she has “no recourse to public funds”. The spouse will have to provide a photocopy of their passport to the Council Tax Office. The dependent spouse will not have to pay even if they are working whilst in the UK.

COUNCIL TAX AND STUDENTS