Council Tax or Poll Tax which would you sooner have now?

Question

Council Tax or Poll Tax which would you sooner have now

Answer 1

Poll Tax would be fairer where everyone over 18 has to contribute. It is idiotic having a house of say six adults with only one or two of them legally liable to pay for everyone. BUT the big problem with poll tax is keeping an accurate and up to date register as people would simply not register or keep moving. NO tax is totally fair in every way but we all should contribute to the community as we then all should benefit. That's the theory anyway. The trouble with council tax is that is is outstripping wages and the ability to pay so much. And demands on the public purse seem to increase every day. Poll Tax ( the old Community Charge ) is fairer but simply would not work. Council Tax is workable but not fair in every way. Seems you can't win but like most things in life, we just have to accept that as nothing is or can be perfect.

Answer 2

First we had the Poll Tax which penalised everyone for just being alive in the country. Then that was replaced by the Council Tax which penalises every householder on behalf of everyone alive in the country.

Both are unfair in different ways but the Council Tax is the most unfair. In effect a single person living in a council flat is paying for the education and local amenities for wealthy middle class folk and their kids.

Is that fair?

Answer 3

Council Tax. But it depends on how many people in the household. If you have 5 adults living in a property then CTAX is probably preferable but if there is only 1 or 2 then Poll Tax would probably work out better.

Answer 4

Council Tax is fairer, if you assume that your house's value in some way relates to your ability to pay. It's also much more efficient (which means we have to pay less extra tax to fund collection) because houses are easier to track than people.

I think the problem is not the type of tax but the amount of funding which is having to be raised locally, instead of coming from national taxes - it is this which is rising most sharply. It is partly down to councils wasting money, and partly down to central government writing cheques which local councils then have to pay.

Answer 5

Poll Tax.

Answer 6

I always said there was nothing wrong with the Poll Tax. This council tax is just another stealth tax and if Labour get in again they will have all houses re banded and Council tax will go through the roof. People who have put their money into making their home nice and perhaps have done extentions, conservatories etc will be penalised through this disgraceful, unfair tax.

Answer 7

Ok so you think that under Poll Tax, every person contributes rather than each household so it would be fairer and cheaper.

We are a two person family. Under Poll tax we paid slightly more in 1991 than we do now under Council Tax.

Answer 8

It shouldn't change anything but i would ring up the social security help line to see where you stand with this before he moves in. I do know that if he gets a job in the future he will be liable to pay part of rent and council tax as he is living there and your benefit may be reduced as they will say he can pay you for staying there, it is all a bit complex so get this information before hand. Try this site it may help.

Answer 9

Poll Tax is fairer, after all just about everyone uses the facilities available but, at the moment, only householders pay. It's pretty expensive when there are only two of you.

Answer 10

Neither. Both are rip offs. Everyone should pay a flat rate of tax set at 18%.