Council Tax Rant (for those leaving the UK)

Apologies in advance for this, but....AAAAARRRRGGGHHHHH!

Has anyone else had any experience of leaving a furnished, but unoccupied house in the UK while living overseas? I'm especially keen to know what you did about Council Tax....because I'm pulling my flipping hair out!

We haven't sold our UK house, but risk losing our PR if we don't get to NZ before the end of November. So, taking a pragmatic stance we booked the flights for October, switched the mortgage to interest only and set about cutting the monthly bills.

Anyway, the plan was taking shape nicely until I spoke to the local council about the council tax. It turns out that if we move abroad and no adults live in the house, we'll get a 10% discount on the council tax bill. However, if one adult lives in the house, we'll get a 25% discount. Doh!

When I pointed this out to the Council Tax office they smiled. When I asked to register one adult, they said that would (technically) be deception because we were moving abroad. ::)

Do you think they would be obliged to prosecute me? We don't want to rent the house out because we're trying to sell it, but surely this can't be right. If I become a tax resident in NZ the UK govt will pretty soon stop my tax credits!

Anyway, the plan was taking shape nicely until I spoke to the local council about the council tax. It turns out that if we move abroad and no adults live in the house, we'll get a 10% discount on the council tax bill. However, if one adult lives in the house, we'll get a 25% discount. Doh!

Here Kokopeli, borrow this or this .

Yes I remember something like this when I first left the UK but ended up renting my place out, as I didn't want to put it up for sale at the time. There was something about leaving the house empty v. leaving furniture in there as well, but I can't recall what that clause was about. Perhaps you don't have to pay anything if the house is empty, as it's deemed impossible that someone will be living in there without furniture? I remember arguing the toss with someone at the tax office about it. Of course, that was nearly 10 years ago and things may have changed since then.

If you don't want to rent (and that would be awkward if you're trying to sell), have you got a reliable friend or relative that could house-sit for you until it's sold? Someone might be glad of a change of scenery and you would have a legal 'tenant' in there to enable you to claim the 25% discount. It wouldn't be as messy as renting and the 'tenant' could supervise any viewings of the property and keep the place clean in exchange for free lodgings (apart from paying the bills, that is). Might be a bit awkward if the place is unfurnished though unless some bits and pieces could be brought in temporarily.

Just a suggestion.

Thanks MB. I was having one of those days.

I don't mind paying (well, I do, but I'm being stoical). It's the ridiculous weighting rules that got me boiling. There are lots of positives about keeping a house in the UK, so we won't be too upset if we don't sell. The downside is that most of our capital will be tied up here, so the dream of owning a lifestyle block by the sea will have to wait....

I don't think much has changed with local councils in the 10 years since you left the UK. ::)

I think they call it 'Progress'....