Comments on: Council Tax

By: Uncarved Block

Uncarved Block — Thu, 28 Oct 2004 20:38:07 +0000

You may be finding it difficult to understand because of a number of misconceptions you appear to have about how local authorities and council tax operate.

Your council tax is not a payment for the services you receive; it is not the same as a utility bill. The money you pay in council tax is a contribution towards the cost of services provided by the local authority to the people of Bracknell. Therefore you are not loaning the council any money at all, just paying the amount that the council has decided you should contribute. The council is not robbing your bank account; it is using the powers given to it in law.

Councillors are elected officials not dictatorial government bureaucrats. The most sensible thing to do if you disagree with what they are doing is to get in touch with you local councillor and ask for an explanation of why they are doing it. If you disagree with the way the local authority is acting, then ask what your councillor is going to do about it as your representative. If the councillor doesn\x92t agree with your point of view then, at the next election, vote for an alternative candidate. If no candidate agrees with your point of view then why not stand for election yourself? If you cannot wait for the next election then why not find out if other residents agree with you and start lobbying the whole council and contacting local press and get a campaign started.

By: James Hunt

James Hunt — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 22:42:12 +0000

I pay my council tax by instalments at the end of each month. That means I pay for an expensive service only AFTER having received the service.
Why should I loan my council money every month,
interest free and in advance? Yet the law states
that councils have the power to determine the payment date thus granting themselves the power
to literally rob my bank account before delivery
of the service. How many millions of us are losing valuable interest on our hard earned cash
by handing it over without the opportunity to
negotiate payment terms. My account is up to date,
but BRACKNELL Council have seen fit to issue me
with a liability order enforced by the court. They
now want the remaining 4 months up front until year end. Utility bills are not paid up front, so how long are we going to allow ourselves to be fleeced by these dictatorial local gov bureaucrats.Pls make e-mail response clear otherwise I may delete them. James ps I’ve waded
through mountains of literature.

By: DEGREEK

DEGREEK — Thu, 18 Mar 2004 14:21:31 +0000

The reason it’s a stealth tax is because above inflation rises in council tax are (at least in part) a result of the government underfunding local authorities from central government taxation but at the same time requiring local authorities to spend more money (for example on employer’s national insurance increases imposed in previous budgets) which in fact don’t benefit local people at all.

By: Lodjer

Lodjer — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 16:21:30 +0000

"Stark" is exactly how it says it.

I have an idea for council tax bands along the lines of Tesco’s brands.

It would involve the introduction of an "Economy Council Tax". You pay a lot less, but you only get access to limited, poor quality local transport and facilies.

Oh, hang on….

By: David Boothroyd

David Boothroyd — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 16:09:28 +0000

Surely the Council Tax is the complete opposite of a stealth tax. It arrives on your doorstep in April saying starkly exactly what you are paying in the next year. You don’t pay your VAT in one go, nor even your Income Tax. And since most people PAYE and look more at the ‘payable’ figure than the ‘deductions’, perhaps Income Tax is a bit more stealthy.

By: DEGREEK

DEGREEK — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 15:54:19 +0000

Increase in council tax is simply a back door stealth tax