Reply to: Flat for gig - council tax?

[Sally BFCA]

Why not just buy yourself a Buy to Let and then rent it back to your company.

Simples.

Did I hear muttered somewhere that LibCon would put 40% taxation on buy to let profits?

[Scrag Meister]

I think that if it is in a position to be used, i.e furnished then you have to pay council tax.

The amount varies depending on occupancy.

[blacjac]

A definative answer

Stumbled across this today while looking for something else....

Council tax

If only one adult lives in a property, they will get a 25 per cent discount on the council tax bill. When working out how many people live in a property, some people are not counted. These are called disregarded people.
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Example 2: You are living alone in a flat on a temporary basis because of a short-term job. Your main home is somewhere else, where you’re paying council tax. You are a disregarded person. However, the flat counts as your second home and so you might get a discount of between 10 per cent and 50 per cent. This depends on the policy of the local authority where your second home is located.

So, if you are flat sharing you don't get counted for council tax and if you are on your own you get a discount.

[DrEvil]

Nice one - it's always nice to read up on how to commit fraud.

In your next post, why not tell us about how nicking car stereos and selling them on for a fiver helps bring in a little extra cash.

Its not fraud as we did actually split up and then get back together. The problem I have is that council tax is only chargeable on your MAIN residence in my area and my council refused for ages to give any discount for the fact that my house wasn't any longer my main residence as I lived and paid council tax elsewhere. They were just being greedy and not following their own rules. The only way around it was to write them a formal letter with people as witnesses saying that I no longer lived there.

Oh and if you need a car stereo let me know

[The Wikir Man]

A couple of things.
1. Each council is different about empty property, some let you have 6/12 months free if empty some charge only a percentage and some charge the full whack.
2. Since the council tax is a personal tax it ISNT claimable against company expenses ( or so my accountant tells me)

I did this a few years back and begrudged paying two lots of council tax. My main house where the family lives, the council there wanted full council tax even though the main house wasn't any longer my main residence since I was only there at weekends. Their view was that because I used it sometimes I'd still have to pay the lot.

I followed a friends advice, paid the council tax at my work apartment and told the council at home that we'd split up and I'd moved out. We both then got the 25% discount for single occupancy. A bit of a faff but worked out in the end.

We're now happily back together after after "patching up our differences"

Nice one - it's always nice to read up on how to commit fraud.

In your next post, why not tell us about how nicking car stereos and selling them on for a fiver helps bring in a little extra cash.

[DrEvil]

A couple of things.
1. Each council is different about empty property, some let you have 6/12 months free if empty some charge only a percentage and some charge the full whack.
2. Since the council tax is a personal tax it ISNT claimable against company expenses ( or so my accountant tells me)

I did this a few years back and begrudged paying two lots of council tax. My main house where the family lives, the council there wanted full council tax even though the main house wasn't any longer my main residence since I was only there at weekends. Their view was that because I used it sometimes I'd still have to pay the lot.

I followed a friends advice, paid the council tax at my work apartment and told the council at home that we'd split up and I'd moved out. We both then got the 25% discount for single occupancy. A bit of a faff but worked out in the end.

We're now happily back together after after "patching up our differences"

[Hiram King Of Tyre]

Why not just buy yourself a Buy to Let and then rent it back to your company.

Simples.

Because that's then treated as income and you get taxed on it. Better to pay a dividend. I think there's also some legislation about connected businesses

[The Wikir Man]

That's not what Selby council told me when my BTL was empty for a couple of months, they said I didn't have to pay council tax for up to 6 months in a year when no one was living in it.

I suppose it's obvious when you think about it though, although I won't actually be 'living' there, it won't actually be empty either.

Thanks guys.

If the flat is empty, and there is no tenancy agreement then you don't have to pay, I think. I got hit with 2 months council tax on a place in Reading even though it was empty, because I still had a tenancy agreement for that time.

[escapeUK]

Depends if you remember to register for it in the 6 months.

Imagine paying two lots of council tax for nothing, its bad enough paying one lot.

[Advocate]

That's not what Selby council told me when my BTL was empty for a couple of months, they said I didn't have to pay council tax for up to 6 months in a year when no one was living in it.

I suppose it's obvious when you think about it though, although I won't actually be 'living' there, it won't actually be empty either.

Thanks guys.

If you still expect your bins emptied and any fires put out..yada yada...

[blacjac]

Doesn't work like that, unfortunately. Even if the place is empty, someone pays the council tax on it.

That's not what Selby council told me when my BTL was empty for a couple of months, they said I didn't have to pay council tax for up to 6 months in a year when no one was living in it.

I suppose it's obvious when you think about it though, although I won't actually be 'living' there, it won't actually be empty either.

Thanks guys.

[The Wikir Man]

Yeah I realised it would be expensible, although I'll probably just get the company to pay for it anyway.
I was just wondering if I could get away with not paying council tax as it's not actually anyone's home....

Doesn't work like that, unfortunately. Even if the place is empty, someone pays the council tax on it.

[blacjac]

Council tax (with single occupancy discount), leccy, gas, tv licence ... are all expensable if not already paid by your company.

Providing the place is rented near to client site and only used as an alternative to hotel/b&b and you still retain permanent residence elsewhere.

Yeah I realised it would be expensible, although I'll probably just get the company to pay for it anyway.
I was just wondering if I could get away with not paying council tax as it's not actually anyone's home....

[blacjac]

Yes - why wouldn't you have to pay council tax?

Because no one actually lives there.........

[MarillionFan]

Why not just buy yourself a Buy to Let and then rent it back to your company.

Simples.