ChatterBank3 mins ago
Council Tax
35 Answers
has anyone heard or read of proposals to cut the 25 percent council tax discount that single people get, as i can't find a direct link. It was reported on in my local paper, but not sure this is a firm proposal or it's being looked at.
Answers
The blanket statement made by Cambridge City Council (that they retain just 11.6% of the Council Tax they collect) is misleading. The remainder is distributed to such places as Parish Councils (which have no tax raising powers of their own) and used to pay for services such as fire and police. The 11% which the council says it retains is used by them for...
14:06 Sat 11th May 2013
Councils do keep 100% of the council tax they receive, Khandro. You may be thinking of Business Rates (which are remitted in total to central government).
Just a glance at my local council’s balance sheet for last year shows income from council tax is £132m, central government funding is £425m. This means just 23% of their revenue comes from council tax and there is very little point in them sending the £132m to central government only to have it returned as part of the ££557m total. I imagine most other local authorities will show similar figures.
If you look about halfway down this document:
https:/
You will see:
Local authorities fund their activities from 3 main sources:
grants from central government
Council Tax
other locally generated fees and charges for services
No mention that they hand over their council tax receipts to have them handed back either in full or in part. There’s plenty of places you can have this confirmed.
Just a glance at my local council’s balance sheet for last year shows income from council tax is £132m, central government funding is £425m. This means just 23% of their revenue comes from council tax and there is very little point in them sending the £132m to central government only to have it returned as part of the ££557m total. I imagine most other local authorities will show similar figures.
If you look about halfway down this document:
https:/
You will see:
Local authorities fund their activities from 3 main sources:
grants from central government
Council Tax
other locally generated fees and charges for services
No mention that they hand over their council tax receipts to have them handed back either in full or in part. There’s plenty of places you can have this confirmed.
just to add, i know it's late, or early, but according to the same source many millions are owed in uncollected council tax, so why don't the council collect it, and i do think it's extortionate, much more so that the hated poll tax. If they bring this in then see many more get well and truly into debt.
that is what i meant, the more money you give to councils the less services you get in return. If our council tax is for libraries, police, fire service why are all those services being downgraded. I get very miffed when i see more jobs advertised at the council, more managers and non jobs, and massive at least to me salaries for the head honchos.
New Judge; Cambridge City Council for example keeps only 11.6% of what it collects http://
The money is pushed around from council to central government and back again, it's all smoke and mirrors.
The money is pushed around from council to central government and back again, it's all smoke and mirrors.
The blanket statement made by Cambridge City Council (that they retain just 11.6% of the Council Tax they collect) is misleading. The remainder is distributed to such places as Parish Councils (which have no tax raising powers of their own) and used to pay for services such as fire and police. The 11% which the council says it retains is used by them for services provided directly by them. No funds are remitted to central government.
Of course all local authorities (and central government departments) must spend all their allocation. They see spending other people’s cash as a measure of their success and are terrified of being allocated less cash the following year. A friend of mine worked in an office for a local authority. In March a couple of years ago there was a surplus of cash in his department so they bought every member of staff an overcoat and weather proof boots “in case they have to go out on business” (when in fact 95% of them never do). Absolutely scandalous.
Of course all local authorities (and central government departments) must spend all their allocation. They see spending other people’s cash as a measure of their success and are terrified of being allocated less cash the following year. A friend of mine worked in an office for a local authority. In March a couple of years ago there was a surplus of cash in his department so they bought every member of staff an overcoat and weather proof boots “in case they have to go out on business” (when in fact 95% of them never do). Absolutely scandalous.
