Alternatively, you can also appeal if you are being sent bills but are not the person liable to pay council tax – for example, if you are a landlord and your tenants should be paying council tax. Alternatively you could check old emails. We can refund this credit to you after we've checked any changes in your circumstances. This guide gives information and advice about: all aspects of Housing Benefit overpayment; all aspects of excess Council Tax Benefit; the legal requirements on local authorities. Council Tax refund for overpayment. Martin Lewis: I averaged 24,300 steps a day (burning 3,910 calories) in 2020 – here's how... NHS and care worker staff freebies & discounts, 10-piece Lottie London cruelty-free make-up bundle for £19 all-in (£50ish bought separately), 12 FREE ways to learn something new at home, Amazon Warehouse – get returned items or mildly damaged products for knock-down prices, LAST OOOOORDERS! What if I registered with an old email address? Martin Lewis is a registered trade mark belonging to Martin S Lewis. Our Broadband Unbundled tool finds the cheapest broadband, phone and TV. Your credit will automatically transfer to your new council tax account. The property details are wrong or incomplete. We pay refunds into the bank account of the person named on the Council Tax bill. Councils tell us someone passing away is often a reason for an account being closed, and some accounts may be left in credit. Refunds and overpayments. 100s of self-employed people are confused about what constitutes being “adversely affected” by coronavirus, we have some helpful scenarios to work out where you stand, as well as HMRC’s guidance. If you move out of North Somerset and you’ve overpaid your Council Tax by direct debit, we will make a refund by BACS. This could happen if you have: overpaid. Policy on this varies from council to council. Which? There was only credit because I left the borough part way into the month after my direct debit had gone out. Limited on behalf of Which? If they reject your appeal, you can apply in writing to the Valuation Tribunal to request a review - you can visit their website here. However, to be clear, there will be exceptions – some who have moved within local authorities and/or paid by direct debit WILL be owed too. Also see how to check and challenge your council tax band and how to claim the 'severely mentally impaired' council tax discount. Check how many closed accounts your council has and how much credit it's holding using  our council-by-council credit list. Because we place no time limit on collections, this means we have many cases in Edinburgh which are historic and these can still be claimed.". 20 November 2020 at 9:41AM in Other Reclaiming: Mortgage Fees, Council Tax etc. Sometimes, you may receive a council tax bill that you don't believe is fair. If you have paid too much Council Tax you can apply to claim a refund. The registered office address of both MoneySupermarket.com Group PLC and MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited (registered in England No. How do I find my old council tax reference number? Its stance of putting consumers first is protected and enshrined in the legally binding MSE Editorial Code. You will then receive a revised bill with the instalments adjusted. I paid by direct debit – is there a chance I could still be owed? A property should be removed from, or added to, the rating list. Money Compare is a trading name of Which? Normally, this isn't a problem – in fact, as council tax is usually paid in advance you'll often be in credit. and they owe you a tax refund, the government can keep your tax refund to satisfy part of the debt you owe. Editor-in-Chief, Marcus Herbert, With many households struggling due to coronavirus, saving money has become crucial – so it's…, A major MoneySavingExpert.com investigation in 2019 found there was at least £230 million in…, Tens of thousands of 'severely mentally impaired' people who are entitled to a council tax…. Choose how to pay your Council Tax Choose to pay your Council Tax bill by Direct Debit, online, by telephone, post or via your bank or building society. We use cookies to allow us and selected partners to improve your experience and our advertising. He was owed despite having paid by direct debit, and his story (he even sent his own freedom of information request to Tower Hamlets) inspired our investigation. If you do contact the council by email or fill in an online claims form, it'll be slower – some we've seen say it can take up to 14 working days to deal with a query. Financial Services Limited. We’ll only refund your credit if you don’t owe us any further Council Tax. To challenge your tax band, follow the process set out above for challenging your council tax bill. A spokesperson for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets confirmed that it puts no time limit on reclaims and said: "When an account is closed, we send a bill detailing the credit due and advising of the refund process. If you started university between 1998 and 2012, or since then in Scotland and Northern Ireland, you'll have a Plan 1 student loan. Once you have an account you will be able to see a history of your requests and link to other council services such as council tax. Make sure you have any documents needed for proof. If you lived in a house where there were multiple billpayers, it might have been harder for the council to establish who should have been refunded. So it's unlikely you'll call your council to be told you owe cash (though of course it's not impossible). . If you feel you’re entitled to a Council Tax refund, please use our online form to tell us why. But when an account is closed while in credit, usually because you or another resident has moved out or someone in the property's died, it can be an issue. If you've moved within Bristol and have overpaid. Money Compare content is hosted by Which? how to check and challenge your council tax band, how to claim the 'severely mentally impaired' council tax discount, the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations. Mortgages, credit cards, loans, payday loans, car finance and more. A couple of minutes of your time today will make managing your online services quicker and easier. If not, check with the council. If you have received a credit on your account due to an exemption, discount, relief or council tax support; we may use the credit to reduce the balance on your account rather than issue a refund. If you’re shopping online for gifts, the deadline for ordering to get ’em in time for Christmas may be sooner than you think. Find out how to apply for a refund if you have an overpayment on your council tax account. You'll just need to contact your council. Find cheap pick-up only items near you - they often attract fewer bids. He said: I claimed back £103. Which? Below, we explain the process of appealing your council tax bill. The government has announced a COVID-19 Council Tax Hardship Fund for people who are working age and on a low income. I set up a redirect on my post – could I still be owed? Within the last week, we've seen the extension of coronavirus credit card, personal loan and overdraft help to 31 October 2020, with mortgage payment holidays already extended. How to record a journal entry for a tax refund. See our Debt Problems guide if you're having problems. Which? You can lodge an appeal if your bill is incorrect – for instance, if you have not been given a discount that should apply. We will only refund you if you do not owe any further amounts of council tax to us. Repayments will be backdated to 1993 at most, as this is when council tax payments were first introduced. If you have received a credit on your account due to an exemption, discount, relief or council tax support; we may use the credit to reduce the balance on your account rather than issue a refund. When completing any e-forms in the future, simply log in and your personal details will already be completed for you. We don't have loads of success stories as this is a relatively new guide, but here are a couple to show it really does work. If you have credit on your council tax account, you can apply for a full or partial refund. When a claim is made, refunds are processed as a priority. Claim a year's worth of tax relief. This guide explains how to check if you're owed and claim if you are. If there is an overpayment showing on your account, we will allocate it to any other outstanding Council Tax accounts you may have. Recovery is usually made by adding the overpayment back onto your council tax bill and increasing your subsequent instalment amounts. Group and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN527029). Don't miss out, 'Severely mentally impaired' council tax discount, Travel insurance for pre-existing conditions. Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: last chance to apply for December payments, A quarter of self-employed workers plan to delay their January 2021 tax payment, The household bills you'll pay as a homeowner. This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances and remember we focus on rates not service. Shows which top cards and loans you're most likely to get. Our TravelMoneyMax tool compares 30+ bureaux to max your holiday cash. The valuation is wrong due to a legal decision on another property. He said: Three years after I moved out of my flat, I got an email to my old email address telling me the property was rebanded and I was owed £400. So if you're someone who's moved home since 1993, especially if you changed council or local authority area and didn't pay by direct debit, you should take a look at this guide, see how your council does it and then try and get your money back.". Expect delays if you mailed a paper return or had to respond to an IRS inquiry about your e-filed return. Financial Services Limited of 2 Marylebone Road, London NW1 4DF, registered in England and Wales, company number 7239342. Council Tax refunds If there is an overpayment showing on your account, we will allocate it to any other outstanding Council Tax accounts you may have. If you move from one property in North Somerset to another in our area, and you have overpaid your Council Tax, we will automatically transfer the overpayment to your new address. One way of reducing your council tax bill is to get your property revalued and moved into a cheaper band. In all likelihood, if you owe your ex-council money, it'll have chased you for it already. MoneySavingExpert.com is part of the MoneySupermarket Group, but is entirely editorially independent. An overpayment can happen if you: get a Council Tax discount, exemption or other support; move out of your home; change your Council Tax band; If you make an overpayment, your account will be in credit. If your Council Tax account is in credit, you can apply for a refund. Laurence Prax, 28, from London, recently reclaimed council tax credit after moving away from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets – though in his case, he did so after being told  by the council he could reclaim. I genuinely thought it was a scam. Appropriations are assumed to be on budget at $16.2 million. The first step towards appealing your council tax is writing to your council to explain why your bill is incorrect. "We write to everyone who is due a rebate in the hope of settling payments. Moved home since 1993? Check if you're owed £100+ back. "To ensure residents have the maximum opportunity to reclaim any credits, unlike many councils, Hackney does not clear unclaimed credits after a set time period (often six years) but instead allows residents to claim it indefinitely. To request a band review, you need to contact your local valuation office and explain why you think your banding is wrong. Find out who is responsible for paying Council Tax and if you don't need to pay because you're exempt from paying. Council Tax refunds. Plus the editorial line (the things we write) is NEVER impacted by these links. Do note, while we always aim to give you accurate product info at the point of publication, unfortunately price and terms of products and deals can always be changed by the provider afterwards, so double check first. "Yet we don't want just to encourage everyone to call their council on spec – that'd waste people's time and clog up council call centres. This guide gives information and advice about: all aspects of Housing Benefit overpayment; all aspects of excess Council Tax Benefit; the legal requirements on local authorities. You should only call if it has been: 21 days or more since you e-filed "Where's My Refund" tells you to contact the IRS; Do not file a second tax return. So to help, we've tried to narrow down who's most likely to be able to claim, so you can weigh up whether to try it. So if your council was one of those there's a chance you could be owed. In basic terms, a council tax account will be in credit if you've paid more than you owe at any point. I then received a letter from them informing me that, if I wanted a refund, I had to fill out a paper form and return this to them by post. Some councils that issue automatic refunds to those who paid by direct debit told us they wouldn't be able to do this where there are multiple billpayers on an account, and would instead first have to establish who actually paid the council tax. Whether you've successfully claimed, or tried to but had problems, tell us at news@moneysavingexpert.com. Councillor Rebecca Rennison, responsible for finance and housing needs at Hackney Council, said: "We try to automatically refund credit where possible and will always send a credit statement letting residents know that there is credit on their account. You can check other properties' bands on the VOA's website. Overpayments may be due to: Vacating a property; Discount or exemption awards; Pensioner reductions; Band reductions; Disabled relief; Once we have validated your request we will aim to issue your refund within 7 to 10 days. 'I'm self-employed but confused about whether I can claim the third grant' – Unsure? Reasons for overpayment: Tax refunds are not considered revenue. Martin Lewis explains how to check Council Tax bill for overpayments and possible refunds The money-saving expert shares two simple checks you can do … Request a refund on your council tax account. If you're worried about work during the coronavirus crisis, this guide looks at your rights if you're self employed, including what help's there for limited company directors. If you owe the government money (social security overpayment, student loans, etc. A good initial check would be to ask your former housemates etc if they have been refunded. The refund will go into your bank account when you tell us you’ve moved. Martin Lewis explains how to check Council Tax bill for overpayments and possible refunds The money-saving expert shares two simple checks you can do quickly to see if … So if you set up a redirect on your post, this notice from the council would hopefully have made it to your new address. If so, you are entitled to this money back – but often you need to claim it, and many don't. This should be backdated to whenever you began paying for the wrong band - usually when you moved into the property. Please read the Full Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Cookies Policy, How this site is financed and MSE's Editorial Code. When completing any e-forms in the future, simply log in and your personal details will already be completed for you. The deadlines for free and cheap delivery before Christmas are FAST approaching. If you still cannot find it, contact us. Eight out of 10 councils told us they try to refund credit wherever possible, and if your council has your direct debit details, this should have been straightforward. Pension lump sum withdrawal tax calculator. The valuation was wrong when the rating list was created - more on this below. To do this, you will need to check the band of similar properties near your own and see if they are any lower than yours. 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