boroexile

Quick question for the Brit ex-pats please:

Did any of you have trouble with your council tax when you left? I moved out here in the beginning of Oct with my girlfriend staying behind in the UK. She sent our local council a letter informing them I'd moved out and they said this wasn't enough evidence that I had left. I've since e-mailed them stating when I left, that I wasn't going back, my new address (company p.o. box), mobile number etc and yet still yesterday I get another email from some toy-town w**ker telling me that he still "isn't convinced" that my circumstances are such that my girlfriend is entitled to a rebate.

They've now sent a form asking me for a copy of my new rental contract, my new employment contract, what address in the UK my bank statements go to, what address my credit card statements go to and what address the DVLA have for my driving licence.

Out of the above the only thing with my previous address on is my UK driving licence, my credit cards are now listed at my mums house and my banking is done online.

Did anyone else have to jump through hoops like this or is it more likely that I've got someone who has gone a bit power mad with his job?

Thanks for any insights...

NedKelly63

Have you informed HMRC that you are no longer resident for tax purposes. If so, and they have accepted your new tax status, they should have sent you a letter say 'ok - let us know when your situation changes' or words to that effect.

I know your enquiry is about Council Tax, but if you have such a letter from HMRC, then your council have got to accept that as proof surely??

Might be worth a try.

Good Luck!

admon

I would ring the toy town w**ker up, tell him your mobile phone and work number, then ask him to call you every day for the next month if he needs any more convincing.

Perhaps actually calling him a toy town w**ker might actually get his attention.

Babyrat08

I think you have someone who is just a touch over zealous. When I moved to Dubai I just wrote a letter to Bexley Council saying that I had moved. They didn't ask for any sort of confirmation etc etc etc and automatically changed their records so my flatmate only has to 75% on council tax. You should try speaking to someone else.

admon

I prefer my confrontational approach..

MrsHaps

ooooooh interesting, i didnt inform the council, im still paying all my bills as normal. My sister is living in my home rent free, however i have recently heard that you have to start paying council tax on empty properties too! I was going to deal with all of this when i go home in April as i certainly dont want to do it over crimbo!

Im still a little concerned how us not living there will effect the house in general, like the council tax, the mortgage, insurance etc... that is why i just left it. We have informed the HRMC that we are no longer residing in the UK however, we are not receiving any rent from my sister so we cant get taxed on that and as long as the council tax and bills are being paid there shouldnt be an issue.... right?

My sister is still registered at my parents house.....

politics....

admon

You should take some advice from Norm UK.

Retaining a property in the UK, keeping your name on the council tax (in effect the electoral roll there) and all the bills still in your name - all those suggest a base in the UK that you have no intention of living away from.

HMRC can have some pretty bizarre ways and means of 'deciding' if you are classed as UK resident and all those things above don't help.

But I am no expert and you should take some professional advice for peace of mind.

MrsHaps

to be honest at the time i wasnt sure if i was going to stay in Dubai. Now I am hence arranging the necessary meetings in the UK to sort out exactly what i need to do. Apparently you have to pay council tax on vacant properties as well now.

Im not renting my house out to anyone, it will stay empty if it has too, my dogs live there and my sister looks after my dogs...! not only that i would never get the rent on it, it is lost too much bloody money!

I did state on my forms that i do have the UK house and there was no rental income, im not telling lies! There really isnt!

I will sort it in April, not going to worry about it now! I will be out of the country long enough for any tax purposes!

admon

Thats my point Mrs Haps, just being out the country on its own doesnt alone count for non residency.
I'm not insinuating for a moment you have told a lie.
I am advising you to take advice, before you face a problem.

MrsHaps

Oh yeah i know... i will do it in April.

See what is what then.. there is no way we can sell it - we would be on for years trying to bloody pay off the negative equity! Still they need to prove our earnings over here too to be able to tax us..... hmmmmmm politics!

boroexile

Admon, the reasons you gave to Mrs Haps about residency, tax etc are the very reasons I need this sorting out. Maybe I was a bit harsh with my "toy town w**ker" comment but the line this council has taken is different to anything I've had to deal with before.

You see I've done the necessary with HMRC, sent off my p85, my p45 and done the other things that will or should establish me as a non-resident. The last thing I need is someone who has no experience in these matters getting involved and scuppering my non-resident status by uni-laterally deciding that I'm still resident at this address in the UK when I'm living over here!

Anyway I've taken some advice from someone who has been through this who told me to scan them a copy of my residency visa and my rental contract and that should be the end of it (hopefully).

If not I suppose I could always offer them a "fact finding" tour of Dubai, what council would ever turn that down?

admon

Yep, you can happily pick him up at the airport, then drop him off around 50 miles into the empty quarter..