Not my council tax debt: how to challenge it
Sometimes the problem is not paying the bill but the bill itself — the wrong person, the wrong dates, or a discount that was never applied. Here is how liability works and how to dispute it.
Applies to: England & Wales
What to do now
- Write to the council now, with dates and evidence — tenancy agreements, move-out dates, new address bills.
- Keep paying the amounts on the bill while you wait, if you can, or ask the council to hold recovery.
- If bailiffs are involved, tell them and the council in writing that the liability is disputed.
Who is liable
The law sets an order of who pays for each home. Broadly, it is the resident with the strongest legal interest: a resident owner first, then a resident tenant, then a resident licensee, then any other resident. If no one lives there, the owner pays. In some homes, such as houses in multiple occupation, the owner is liable even when people live there. Adults must be 18 or over to be liable.
Joint liability
People at the same level of the order — joint tenants or joint owners — are jointly liable, and so are spouses, civil partners and couples living together. That means the council can ask any of you for the full amount. There are exceptions: for example, someone who is severely mentally impaired, or a full-time student in some situations, is not jointly liable. If you were billed for a period after you and a partner separated and you had left, say so.
If you had moved out
Liability normally ends on the day you move out. Tell the council the exact date and your new address, with evidence such as the end of your tenancy or a bill at your new home. Councils sometimes keep billing a former address until they are told. If you moved between council areas, check each council’s bill covers only the dates you lived there.
Discounts and exemptions you may have missed
- Single person discount — 25% off if you live alone or everyone else is disregarded.
- Disregards — people not counted as adults, including full-time students, student nurses, people who are severely mentally impaired, some apprentices, 18 and 19-year-olds in full-time education and some live-in carers.
- Exemptions — for example, homes where everyone is a full-time student.
- Disabled band reduction — where a home has been adapted for a disabled person.
These must usually be claimed. Ask the council to backdate any that should have applied.
How to challenge it
- Write to the council explaining why the bill is wrong. You cannot appeal just because the bill is too high.
- The council will issue a new bill or explain why it thinks the bill is right. It has two months to reply.
- If you disagree, or get no reply in two months, appeal to the Valuation Tribunal for England, or the Valuation Tribunal for Wales. The deadline is two months from the council’s decision, or four months from your first letter if you had no reply. A late appeal may be accepted if circumstances beyond your control stopped you.
- The tribunal is free to use, though you pay your own costs.
If it is the band
A challenge to your council tax band goes to the Valuation Office Agency, not the council.
If a liability order has already been made
Where a liability order should not have been made — for example because you were not the liable person — the council can ask the magistrates’ court to quash it. Raise the dispute in writing straight away and ask the council to hold enforcement while it looks into it. Liability orders.
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Common questions
How do I dispute a council tax bill that isn't mine?
Write to the council explaining why, with evidence such as tenancy or move-out dates. If it disagrees or does not reply within two months, you can appeal free to the Valuation Tribunal.
Am I liable for my ex-partner's council tax?
Couples living together are jointly liable for the periods they lived together. Once you moved out and told the council, you should not be liable for later periods at that address.
What is the deadline to appeal to the Valuation Tribunal?
Two months from the council's decision, or four months from your first letter if the council did not reply. A late appeal may be possible in circumstances beyond your control.