Council Tax

[xoggoth]

At least in Harrow you probably get street lighting. We don't get 3/5ths of bugger all for our council tax.

[Paddy]

Okay let me rephrase in light of a little digging.

Council Tax replaced the Community Charge (Poll tax) in 2004. The Poll tax system was introduced in the late 1980s, but abolished a few years later in favour of something resembling the Rating System it replaced. Council tax is similar to the original Rating System.

i.e.
Rating --> Poll Tax --> Rating

Can anyone remember roughly how much rates were pre 1980s? That is, was it anything like as costly as now in real terms?

Council Tax 1978 was £30 per year. 20 St Moritz were 50p. Petrol 48p per gallon. CT should be £300 per year these days, but then the Civic Centre employed about 1/4 of today's workers.

[Clippy]

I pay £1970 for a standard 3 bed semi , and next council tax year I recon its going to around £2050. This may sound controversial but I soley blame the number of immigrants in my area and the local council admit as much.

This is somewhat true but surprisingly probably not the councils fault.

There was a Panorama programme about this in autumn where they followed looked at the situation in Slough which has seen a large influx of Eastern European immigrants.

The council do not have the budget to deal with this demand a fact compounded by the Govt. who base the extra funding councils are given for supporting the immigrants on their official immigration figures for Slough.

However, the chap from Slough council advised that their own figures, which are more accurate, are much higher.

So who ends up picking up the tab - local residents in higher council tax.

[BrilloPad]

Bands based on house prices in 1991? Believe they tried in 2006 to re-work bands but gave up?

I am in Greenwich - we pay alot for very little. Seems the money goes to minorities - a one-legged Irish Lesbian. I wonder who she is - she must be doing very well.

[Lucy]

Just moved into a new house and the council tax is freaking £1862 a year.

How much? What the hell do they spend it on???? Its a bloody liberty!!!madmadmad

Is this the norm or expensive?

MF I thought you lived in California or somewhere, or did I miss something.

Try living in Camden, you get to see the council cretins 'renovate' tower blocks and watch the underclass burn them down, or make the mistake of going to the parking office where it takes them 30mins to serve 2 'customers' because, they tell you, the system is slow. The f*ing system is paper or carved in stone, it would take less time.

Rant over.

[Diver]

Just moved into a new house and the council tax is freaking £1862 a year.

How much? What the hell do they spend it on???? Its a bloody liberty!!!madmadmad

Is this the norm or expensive?

Jesus and I moaned when I found out mine was £960.00 a year on the new house. Yours is double

[ChimpMaster]

Easy option - leave the country. They won't listen, so walk with your feet. Take your money, education and skills elsewhere.

Just like the 14,000 junior doctors unable to get jobs this year - each of whose training cost the UK taxpayer £250k.

[rootsnall]

Council Tax replaced the Community Charge (Poll tax) in 2004. The Poll tax system was introduced in the late 1980s, but abolished a few years later in favour of something resembling the Rating System it replaced.

Maggie's Poll tax system of the late 80s early 90s was the best one as I never paid a jot, strictly on political grounds obviously !