Council Tax
Merseyside combined authority announces first precept
The Liverpool city region combined authority is to levy a council tax precept for the first time.
Councils need to take a considered approach towards the vulnerable
Matthew Drage of Huntswood outlines how local authorities can ensure they are treating the most vulnerable in society fairly when dealing with arrears and collections
Council shuns bitcoin suggestion
Walsall MBC has shunned a suggestion from its local Conservative MP for residents to be allowed to pay their council tax with bitcoin.
Rotherham to raise council tax on empty homes
Rotherham MBC’s cabinet has agreed to changes which mean homes left vacant for more than 10 years will be expected to pay three times the usual bill. Homeowners who leave properties empty for five years would see their council tax bill double.
Finance settlement: Government floats commercialisation crackdown
Whitehall is considering a crackdown on councils that excessively borrow for commercial reasons as it continues to restrict council tax rises.
Councils to take £200m hit under Scottish budget proposals
A row has broken out over local government funding in the Scottish Government’s proposed budget.
Social care Green Paper delayed again amid Westminster turmoil
Turmoil in Westminster has piled further uncertainty onto local government, with the social care Green Paper the latest casualty.
We need to talk about finance
Piali Das Gupta wants central Government, caught up with Brexit, to start paying attention to the voice of local authorities who argue that the practical needs of the people are not being met.
Council tax hikes across the board in Scotland
All 32 Scottish councils have increased their council tax charges during 2018, as part of a strategy to manage their growing funding gaps, according to a report from the Accounts Commission.
Brokenshire: We need to raise our game and get London building
Housing secretary James Brokenshire has criticised London boroughs after statistics showed a ‘mixed picture’ across the capital in the number of additional homes in 2017/18.
Reform council tax or lose our support, Greens tell SNP
Without any progress on council tax reform the Greens will vote down the upcoming Scottish budget, the party’s co-convener has warned.
SOLACE Summit: Dawes rejects NHS cash grab idea
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) top civil servant has encouraged council chief executives to be bold in their asks from Whitehall.
IPPR backs radical tax reforms
Replacing council tax with a new property tax could help tackle wealth inequality, a new report has claimed.
Council tax collection drops further
Council tax collection rates in England declined slightly in 2017/18, new data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has revealed.
Scotland to consult on tourist tax
The Scottish Government will consult on the benefits of enabling councils to charge tourist taxes.
Edinburgh publishes tourist tax plan
A tourist tax of 2% or £2 per night is being proposed in Edinburgh, raising £11m per year for the city council.
Labour leaders demand radical council tax reform
Labour local authority leaders have called for the council tax system to be scrapped in a direct appeal to the Prime Minister.
Healey unveils council tax levy on holiday homes
Labour would double council tax on second homes to help families living in temporary accommodation, shadow housing secretary John Healey is expected to announce later today.
'Tough enforcement action' brings in £1.2m
South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse DCs recovered more than £1.2m in council tax arrears after 'tough enforcement action,' latest figures have revealed.
Scottish Government resists calls for tourist tax
The Scottish Government has dashed councils’ hopes of gaining powers to introduce a tourist tax.