Council Tax Increases 2018/19

Bl4ckGryph0n

My bin is normally empty, it is all those meals out that we do all the time And everything else is organic composted, bought without additional packaging for which we pay extra.

IronGiant

There are 5 of us here, next door the same. Yet we all pay the same Council Tax as Vera on the other side who lives on her own after her hubby died 5 years ago and our houses are all in the same CT bracket.

Bl4ckGryph0n

It is exactly that, that doesn't make any sense to me. Sure I get it that the way it was being implemented originally was perhaps not the cleverest way to go about it. But surely it is inherently much more fair and reasonable. I simply don't understand why people can reasonably argue against it.

Qactuar

Vera should remind the council about single occupancy discount.

Bl4ckGryph0n

-25% discount. Why not -75%?

rancidpunk

It was always a property tax though, and the British public let themselves be heard when they changed it to a personal tax.

IronGiant

Good point 20% 0ff?
So she's eking out her pension paying out £1600 a head and we pay £2000 at £400 each?

Bl4ckGryph0n

Please explain how it is fairer?

Crafty

Discount for sole occupancy evens it up a little, but it still doesn't make much sense really, I was going to outline the exact scenario that IronGiant mentions.

In terms of "you've got a big house so you can pay more" I think thats just ingrained in our society - "you earn more, so you should pay more tax" and so on. It can feel unfair at times, but it seems that it is the penalty of having a little success/putting some effort in.

Bl4ckGryph0n

Interestingly that also highlights another unfair point. Why is it a postcode lottery? Not only for what you have to pay, but also for the discount you get.

Ps.  £1,600 Not your day for calculations today