What happens if I don't pay my Council tax?

Question

I moved into a flat in Edinburgh with my boyfriend a few months ago (okay, last fall....!) and he has continued to pay single occupancy rates this whole time. I know we should inform the city that I live with him, but so much time has gone by I worry what will happen when/if we inform them. Could we be found out (and if so, how?) and what would happen??? I am afraid we are going to owe a small fortune in back tax....

Answer 1

you can end up going to prision

Answer 2

U should really inform them, just tell them u moved in at the beginning of the month so u won't owe too much back pay. I think they can find out if they check up on your boyf single occupancy claim or if someone grasses u in.
i think even if you only stay for 3 nights or more u are classed as living there, if they find you out they will probably fine u and then start charging you full council tax.

Answer 3

if you don't pay it, they send you a court summons. You go to court and before the hearing someone will talk to you in a back room and ask you to make an offer etc etc. They only send you to jail if you refuse to pay it. Don't worry too much unless you have no intention of paying it. They'll accept a reasonable offer on top of the ongoing amount. It's highly unlikely you'll go to prison or even enter a court room. They'll find you if your on the voters register for that address. Don't leave it, tell them and plead ignorance. Dobbing people in, is the national past time in the U.K. Just look at some of the answers you're getting!

Answer 4

You can go to prison quite frankly. You will owe 25% on top of what you are currently paying. Ring up the council and tell them you didnt realise you had to let them know. Dont lie about when you moved in because councils have records and will trace your whereabouts previous to moving in and ask questions. Just be up front and ask to spread the cost of the new bill. It shouldnt be too much more to pay.

Answer 5

Ring them up and say you've just moved in with him. They will send you a form to add your name as an occupant. Or else ring them up and say you didn't even think to change it - it never occurred to you til now. Say you are really worried about it as you thought of it suddenly at 3am this morning and are worried you owe them loads and you'll never be able to afford it etc. They will probably say you can pay the back tax in installments. Actually - go to your local citizen's advice bureau and say all that and they should be able to sort it out for you.

Answer 6

compared to different expenditures in case you fail to pay Council Tax you are able to finally end up in detention center. The council are obliged to attempt that can help you be certain it yet contained in the suitable think ofyou've got to pay. they could deliver in Bailiffs to get rid of things out of your position that may be bought to pay it off yet in the adventure that they don't advance sufficient that way you nonetheless ought to pay the version. in case you visit detention center over it the debt remains there once you pop out. the precedence to bear in mind is that an outstanding style of those different movements value money and the invoice for all of it truly is added for your debt. visit CAB and note in the adventure that they could tackle a scheme with the council for you. even with you do do not ignore about any of the letters from the council. Get in contact with them and stay in contact as a way to be certain you attempt to style it. one difficulty - baillifffs do no longer have an exact of get entry to till they have a warrant giving them the right to enter from the courtroom. in the adventure that they arrive about on your doorstep do no longer enable them placed even one foot contained in the door as once you've they were given then been invited in and may keep on. see you later as they don't get a foot contained in the door at any time then they ought to bypass to a courtroom and get a warrant and if this were the case they should be followed by ability of a uniformed police officer. finally the biggest difficulty - do not enable it grind you down. even with takes position your well being is better substantial..

Answer 7

If you're that worried, just tell the council that you just moved in and want to start paying from this month onwards.

They shouldn't find out, but to be honest, you should pay it. I know it's expensive and most of the time we don't see any benefits from it, but everyone else has to pay it, so it's only fair.

If they did find out, you'd probably just get a massive bill, but worse case scenario would be a fine and prison. Would think they could only find out if someone else told them about it though.

Answer 8

If he is paying single occupancy he is only getting a 25% discount ( i think) so you wouldnt have too much to pay back if they back dated it but what i'd do is contact them now
and tell them that you've just moved in and start paying it from now, they'll never know!

Answer 9

You will be asked to pay. If you can't, you'll be taken to court, and most likely take money direct from your wages/income or have possessions removed to cover costs.
If I were you I'd register that you've just moved in, and hope they don't find out!! Good luck!!

Answer 10

dont panic just tell them you have only just moved in , buy a new tv witch you have to give an address for. bingo a record of you just setting up home with your man. Or dont pay girl get loads of others to join you and wehey we have a revolution, we dont get much for all the bloody money we pay them......grrrrrrrr

Answer 11

Prison I hope. You're just another scrounging economic parasite on the system. Why should the bulk of us who pay our taxes have to keep the likes of you who doesn't?