Council Tax - Frequently Asked Questions
There are 4 sections to this page:
Paying your Council Tax
Council Tax General Information
Discounts, Exemptions and Reductions
Council Tax Benefit
3. My landlord wants to pay the council tax. Will you send the bill direct to him/her?
4. Why have I received a reminder/second reminder/final notice/summons?
5. Why have I got a council tax Attachment of Earnings?
1. Can I pay on-line?
Yes. We can offer you a variety of electronic and automatic ways to pay your council tax.
2. Why has my bill changed?
There are a number of reasons why we may have sent you a revised bill. For example, we may have adjusted your council tax benefit or we may have ended you single person discount if you are no longer entitled to get it.
We may also have sent you a new bill because you asked to pay by a different method, for example direct debit, and we are simply sending you notice of the change.
If you are not sure what the reason could be and want to find out more, please contact our Customer Services Team on 01395 517446 and one of our Officers will be happy to help. You can also email us at revenues@east-devon.gov.uk.
3. My landlord wants to pay the council tax. Will you send the bill direct to him/her?
No, not unless he or she lives in the same property that the council tax bill is for. In this case, the landlord is the liable person and his or her name will be on the bill. Otherwise, if you are the tenant, you are the liable person and we will send the bill to you. Your name will be shown on the bill and it is for you to make sure that payment is made on time, no matter what the tenancy agreement says. Click here if you want to find out more about who is liable to pay.
4. Why have I received a reminder/second reminder/final notice/summons?
If we have sent you a reminder, final notice or summons, it means that you have not paid your council tax in accordance with your bill. You must follow the instalment plan the bill shows and make sure your payments reach us by the day they are due. If you have missed one or more instalments we will send you one of these notices telling you what you must do to avoid any further recovery action. A final notice means that you have lost the right to pay by instalments in the current financial year and the total balance outstanding is due. If you do not pay the full amount within the time limit shown on the notice, we will send you a summons.
You can find out more about recovery procedures by clicking here.
5. Why have I got a council tax Attachment of Earnings?
Once a council tax case has gone through the Magistrates’ Court and we hold a Liability Order in respect of your debt, it means that we can use a range of other ways to recover the amount you owe. One of these is an Attachment of Earnings. After the magistrates have granted the Liability Order, you are required to fill in a detailed means form to show your income. If, at that stage, we are unable to make an acceptable arrangement with you to repay the debt, we will use your employment details to set up an Attachment of Earnings Order, without consulting you further. You can find out more about attachment of earnings by clicking here.
Council Tax - General Information
1. What band is my property in?
2. How can I find out what band a property other than my own is in?
3. Why is the house down the road in a lower band than mine?
4. I am moving in/out of my property, what do I need to let you know?
5. What do I get for my money?
1. What band is my property in?
Your council tax bill shows the band of your property. You can also check it by looking on the Valuation Office (VO) website or by ringing the VO on 01392 606900. You can also ring East Devon District Council on 01395 517446. Click here if you want a direct link to the Valuation Office website now.
2. How can I find out what band a property other than my own is in?
You can find out the band of another property by looking on the Valuation Office website. The website is easy to use and you can also find out other useful information, such as whether the band might change when the property is sold. This can happen if improvements or alterations have been carried out that have significantly increased its value. You can also find out about the banding of any property in the East Devon area by contacting us on 01395 517446. Click here if you want a direct link to the Valuation Office website now..
3. Why is the house down the road in a lower band than mine?
Some apparently similar properties may differ in band. The most likely reason is when the valuations made on each property fall close to the borderline of two bands. There are more circumstances which may affect banding and if you disagree with the band that has been applied to your property you can make an appeal to the District Valuer.
Please remember: if you make an appeal, you must carry on paying as shown on your bill. If your appeal is successful and the Valuation Office reduces your band, we will refund any money that you may have overpaid.
You can find out more about Valuation and Banding or how to make an Appeal by clicking here.
4. I am moving in/out of my property, what do I need to let you know?
There is an on-line form you can use to let us know the details of your move.
Click here if you are moving in.
Click here if you are moving out.
5. What do I get for my money?
The total council tax we collect is divided among Devon County Council, Devon & Cornwall Police Authority, Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, the District Council and the town/parish councils. The biggest share, over 75%, goes to the County Council. Together with money from business rates, your council tax contributes directly towards the cost of providing many local services, including education, roads, police, fire and rescue, domestic refuse collection, environmental services, leisure facilities, etc. The spending on these services is shown in our booklet 
Working together in East Devon 2008 (1168KB - PDF Help)
Discounts, Exemptions and Reductions:
1. Do I get a discount if I live on my own?
2. Do I have to be living on my own to get a discount?
3. What council tax will I have to pay if I own/rent a second home?
4. How long does the discount last?
5. My property is uninhabitable, do I still have to pay council tax?
6. Only students live in our house. Do we have to pay council tax?
7. Do I still have to pay council tax if I go into hospital?
8. We have built a ‘Granny Annexe’ onto our house. Do we have to pay council tax on it?
9. I am disabled. Can I get a reduction in my council tax?
1. Do I get a discount if I live on my own?
Yes. If you live alone you can get a discount of 25%. Click here if you want to print out a single occupier discount application form. (53KB - PDF Help)
2. Do I have to be living on my own to get a discount?
No. You may still be entitled to a discount even if you don’t live on your own. The full council tax bill assumes that there are two adults living in a home but when we count the number of adults, certain groups of people are disregarded (not counted). If everyone except one person is disregarded, you can get a 25% discount. If everyone in the household is disregarded, you can get a 50% discount and, in some circumstances, the property may be exempt so that no council tax is payable at all. Click here to find out which groups of people are disregarded.
3. What council tax will I have to pay if I own/rent a second home?
You can get a 10% discount off the full council tax if you have a second home. This may be your holiday home or any furnished property that you are liable to pay council tax for but which is unoccupied. In certain, specific circumstances, you may be able to get a 50% discount, for example, if the reason you have a second home is work related.
If your second property is unoccupied and unfurnished, there will be no council tax to pay for up to six months after it was vacated. After six months, there is no discount and the full council tax is payable.
Click here for information on exempt properties. Click here if you want to claim a second home discount. (63KB - PDF Help)
4. How long does the discount last?
The discount will continue while your household circumstances do not change and you continue to qualify for it. You must let us know within 21 days of any change which may affect your entitlement to a discount.
5. My property is uninhabitable, do I still have to pay council tax?
If the property is unfurnished and unoccupied and requires, or is undergoing, major structural repair/alteration, it will be exempt from council tax for up to a year. After that, if the property remains empty, you will have to pay the full charge.
Click here for information on exempt properties.
Back to the questions
6. Only students live in our house. Do we have to pay council tax?
No, as long as EVERYONE in the property is a student, it will be exempt from council tax. Some universities and colleges send us a list of all their students but some do not. If yours does not, you will need to send us a certificate confirming your student status which you get from your college/university. If anyone moves into the property who is not a student, the exemption will stop and council tax will be charged. One non-student in the household will mean a council tax of 75% of the full charge and two non-students will result in a bill for the full charge.
Click here for an exemption form (58KB - PDF Help)
7. Do I still have to pay council tax if I go into hospital?
Yes, unless the move into hospital is permanent. If you have to spend a short period away from home in hospital, you continue to pay your council tax as usual.
When a person has to remain in hospital permanently, the house that they have left unoccupied is exempt from council tax even if it is furnished. Please telephone 01395 517446 for more information or click here for the appropriate exemption form. (54KB - PDF Help)
8. We have built a ‘Granny Annexe’ onto our house. Do we have to pay council tax separately for the annexe.?
If the annexe forms part of a single property with your house and a dependent relative of yours lives in it, for example your mother or father who is over the age of 65, the annexe will be exempt from council tax. The list of people who count as a relative is quite wide. You can check who is included and also who counts as ‘dependent’ by looking on the annexe exemption form. (59KB - PDF Help)
9. I am disabled. Can I get a reduction in my council tax?
If you, or anyone who normally lives with you, are permanently disabled, you may be eligible for a reduction in your council tax charge. The disabled person may be a child. The reduction would be the equivalent to you paying council tax at the next band down from the one shown on your bill. For example, if you live in a property which is in band D, your reduction would mean that you would pay council tax at Band C level. If you live in a property in Band A, you can still receive a reduction. Click here to find out if you can get a disablement reduction.
If you decide to apply, a visiting officer will arrange to visit you to ensure that your property meets the right conditions.
1. Can I claim council tax benefit?
2. Can I get a discount if the only other person who lives with me is on a low income?
1. Can I claim council tax benefit?
If you are on a low income and have less than £16,000 capital you may qualify for council tax benefit. The benefit is available to owner-occupiers and to people living in rented property. You do not have to get any other benefits and it does not matter if you already get a discount on your council tax, for example, if you live alone. The amount of benefit you could get will depend on your circumstances and the valuation band of your property.
Back to the questions
2. Can I get a discount if the only other person who lives with me is on a low income?
Yes, as long as the other person is not your partner. A Second Adult Rebate is available if the person who shares your home is:
aged 18 or over
not paying you rent
not liable to pay council tax themselves
You may be able to get a Second Adult Rebate even if you do not normally get council tax benefit. It is based on the other person’s circumstances. Your income and savings will not affect Second Adult Rebate. If you are entitled to both council tax benefit and Second Adult Rebate, we will work out which is the best option for you and give you the higher amount.
You can find out more about Council Tax and Housing Benefit by clicking here.
