Council Tax

[mesmo]

Merlyn and I are now married She has now been here in the UK approaching 6 months and we have just sent off her spouse visa application.

As far as the Council tax is concerned, does she officially live here in the UK and should we be paying council tax for her OR is she still deemed to be "just visiting" (she is here on a fiancée visa)

To date I have been claiming a single persons reduction but we are just about to move into our new home and want to get it all legal and above board

Thanks in advance

[Dedworth]

Might be best to get it all above board - the Councils are fairly clued up and you may get a letter from them asking you to confirm that you are still eligible for single person discount. They get address/resident data from credit agencies like Experian.

[lordna]

I would have thought your NOT entitled to a single person discount from the time your partner moved in, regardless of when you married.

It would be a good move to get the council tax in both your names as you will need documents bearing both names spanning the period of your wifes spouse visa for when she eventually applies for ILR.

[mesmo]

Might be best to get it all above board - the Councils are fairly clued up and you may get a letter from them asking you to confirm that you are still eligible for single person discount. They get address/resident data from credit agencies like Experian.

Ta Dedworth, that was my thought to

[Arthur Little]

Might be best to get it all above board - the Councils are fairly clued up and you may get a letter from them asking you to confirm that you are still eligible for single person discount.

... based on personal experience. Here's WHY:

I had been a widower for 17 years. Living alone, being early retired and, notably, above the age of sixty for part of that period, entitled me to receive Guaranteed Pension Credit ... which, in turn, took care of a substantial proportion of my Council Tax.

I later remarried ... shortly before becoming eligible for my State Pension - reporting the change in circumstances immediately prior to my 65th birthday - upon discovering that receipt of the latter would invalidate ANY subsequent entitlement to the former and in future render me liable for the full amount of Council Tax.

Although Council staff realised this had been a genuine oversight on my part, I'd still to fork out a backdated amount - calculated to the time of my new wife's arrival and payable in monthly instalments.

So best to play safe, in order to avoid making mistakes likely to lead to misunderstandings.

[Terpe]

Doesn't matter whether married or not.
If you're not living alone you're not entitled to a Council Tax discount

[grahamw48]

Contact your council and ask THEM.

[Arthur Little]

Doesn't matter whether married or not.
If you're not living alone you're not entitled to a Council Tax discount

Yes, I'm fully aware of that ... but, with me receiving *Guaranteed Pension Credit - which (being then under the age of 65) I happened to be still in receipt of when Myrna came to the UK ... ... I'd been of the genuine belief *it would automatically continue to take care of all aspects relating to any payments of Council Tax.

I thought I'd already made this clear in #5!

[Slip]

I get 25% of my council tax because I live on my own, infact they call it single occupancy. I will only pay the full amount once Harlene is here and living with me.

[Michael Parnham]

I get 25% of my council tax because I live on my own, infact they call it single occupancy. I will only pay the full amount once Harlene is here and living with me.

Correct!

[johncar54]

I get 25% of my council tax because I live on my own, in fact they call it single occupancy..

More than one person, whoever they are, living in a property cannot count as Single Occupancy

[Slip]

More than one person, whoever they are, living in a property cannot count as Single Occupancy

Erm, yes, that's what I sort of said didn't I?