Council Tax !!!!!!

[Fusewire]

Just got my council tax bill for this year..

It's gone up by 10%

There was supposed to be a 5% cap on increases, so what have our council done ???

Increased the council tax element by 4.9% (to stay under the 5% cap) and added the rest onto the police / fire service and parish elements. Nett increase = 10%

Robbing twisting swindling ers

Rant over... I fell a bit better now.

How much has everyone else's gone up by anyway ?

[gtcarling]

Mines got up 7% in total but to be honest although i struggle some months to pay, my council has invested alot into improving the area so don`t mind paying it. I think aslong as people can see there getting something for there money it doesnt hurt as much paying.

[indianwells]

I live in a company house. So the company pays it.

[BrianC]

The letter that came with mine said that they weren't putting up it up this year as they had managed to build up a good reserve. I was extremely disappointed to find out that this only applied to the borough council and that the other areas that get a portion of the council tax would add to up 5%.

[unique]

i think it only went up 2% or something in edinburgh. maybe 2.5%. i haven't seen the price yet. i think it's about £80 for my flat a month, with the single person discount. i pay it by direct debit, likewise most bills apart from gas and electricity as they seem to vary wildly at times and if i complain when i pay they usually knock money off. in 2 years they've knocked off maybe £150 cuz i complained about their errors. the council screwed up my first part year tho, they were supposed to deduct the 6 months over the next year, but i found out in october last year they hadn't done it and i had to pay an extra £70 or so back over the last 6 months, including reorganising last years to pay over 12 months instead of 10. at least from end april onwards i'll have a lot less to pay, as i just got new glasses and contacts paid over 6 months at £70 odd quid just before i found out my council tax was in arrears

[Greg]

Mine went up £5 a month.

[zAndy1]

I don't know the answer to this but is there a similar sort of tax to the council tax in other parts of the world? I could argue all day about how unfair council tax is and it does seem a lot of money (£140pm in my case) but I really don't have a clue whether a similar tax is charged in e.g. Spain or France or the US and if it is what level it's charged at. We seem to be taxed to the hilt on everything e.g. petrol/booze etc and also pay what to me is an excessive amount of local council tax. I believe everyone 16 and over should pay towards the cost of the council services and it should be based on income and not on a dubious property valuation.

[stealther]

mines gone up £5 a month as well tho cant see where the money has been spent round by me. We got a new pelican crossing a couple of years ago altho that was in the wrong place so no nothing for my money!

[indianwells]

Originally Posted by zAndy1

I don't know the answer to this but is there a similar sort of tax to the council tax in other parts of the world? I could argue all day about how unfair council tax is and it does seem a lot of money (£140pm in my case) but I really don't have a clue whether a similar tax is charged in e.g. Spain or France or the US and if it is what level it's charged at. We seem to be taxed to the hilt on everything e.g. petrol/booze etc and also pay what to me is an excessive amount of local council tax. I believe everyone 16 and over should pay towards the cost of the council services and it should be based on income and not on a dubious property valuation.

There was a letter from a chap in Spain in the paper this morning. He pays 50 Euro a year to have his bins emptied 3 times a week! Then I think it was about 500 Euro for all other services.

It was in The Express if anyone's got it.

[Garrett]

Originally Posted by Fusewire

Increased the council tax element by 4.9% (to stay under the 5% cap) and added the rest onto the police / fire service and parish elements. Nett increase = 10%

Same where I live when I looked I thought not that much increase then I saw what the % for the police / fire servic..
They seem to be cutting services all the time, the shut 2 local libraries the one in my area because they said we could afford to drive to an other one yet our area pays the most in council tax. That does not seem very green, or they thing we are!
I think everybody over a certain age and bringing in an income should contribute something to the council tax after all they are getting the same services as the rest of the current payers.
.

[PAH]

I think those who use the services more should be charged more, such as if you live on a dodgy estate where the police and fire brigade have practically moved in. That might get them behaving more and taking more interest in what havoc their kids are causing if their bills reflect it. Likewise I wouldn't mind a discount as I've never had to call the police or fire brigade.

I also wouldn't mind being able to opt out of refuse collection as the waste tip is less than a couple of miles down the road so I'm quite capable of taking it there myself and often do when I've got stuff to recycle and don't want to wait till it's recycling collection day every other week.

Thinking about it, don't really need street lighting either so can I have the lamp post that's down the road on a coin meter please!

[indianwells]

Originally Posted by Garrett

Same where I live when I looked I thought not that much increase then I saw what the % for the police / fire servic..
They seem to be cutting services all the time, the shut 2 local libraries the one in my area because they said we could afford to drive to an other one yet our area pays the most in council tax. That does not seem very green, or they thing we are!
I think everybody over a certain age and bringing in an income should contribute something to the council tax after all they are getting the same services as the rest of the current payers.
.

A Poll Tax then?

[Jenn]

Originally Posted by zAndy1

I don't know the answer to this but is there a similar sort of tax to the council tax in other parts of the world? I could argue all day about how unfair council tax is and it does seem a lot of money (£140pm in my case) but I really don't have a clue whether a similar tax is charged in e.g. Spain or France or the US and if it is what level it's charged at. We seem to be taxed to the hilt on everything e.g. petrol/booze etc and also pay what to me is an excessive amount of local council tax. I believe everyone 16 and over should pay towards the cost of the council services and it should be based on income and not on a dubious property valuation.

In France you pay council tax and if you own a property you pay an additional tax.
My parents pay around £450 a year council tax (they rent their house) and their bins (general rubbish) are collected twice a week in winter and every day in summer. They also collect recycled bins once a week I think.

House owners pay that additional tax which as I understand still doesn't make the total amount of tax anywhere near what we pay here.

[unique]

Originally Posted by PAH

I think those who use the services more should be charged more, such as if you live on a dodgy estate where the police and fire brigade have practically moved in. That might get them behaving more and taking more interest in what havoc their kids are causing if their bills reflect it. Likewise I wouldn't mind a discount as I've never had to call the police or fire brigade.

I also wouldn't mind being able to opt out of refuse collection as the waste tip is less than a couple of miles down the road so I'm quite capable of taking it there myself and often do when I've got stuff to recycle and don't want to wait till it's recycling collection day every other week.

Thinking about it, don't really need street lighting either so can I have the lamp post that's down the road on a coin meter please!

you need a Pay As You Go polltax. pay £1.50 a minute to call 999 to help pay for the police and ambulance, etc

[stealther]

Originally Posted by PAH

I think those who use the services more should be charged more, such as if you live on a dodgy estate where the police and fire brigade have practically moved in. That might get them behaving more and taking more interest in what havoc their kids are causing if their bills reflect it. Likewise I wouldn't mind a discount as I've never had to call the police or fire brigade.

I also wouldn't mind being able to opt out of refuse collection as the waste tip is less than a couple of miles down the road so I'm quite capable of taking it there myself and often do when I've got stuff to recycle and don't want to wait till it's recycling collection day every other week.

Thinking about it, don't really need street lighting either so can I have the lamp post that's down the road on a coin meter please!

Just to play devils advocate I am stuck on one of those estates at the moment and would definitly agree that the emergancy services are used more but me personally I dont use much services either no schools, no hospitals, Doctors is a waste of time so its only really refuse collection thats any use If only it was 50 Euros a year!