AllanP
|
Council Tax Freeze.This SNP Government has decreed that council tax has been frozen this year with a commitment to abolishment and a much more fairer way of taxation in future years.
Given that this is a possible end game, just how is this going to be financed without loss of jobs and services without future funding from the taxpayer?
Whilst I'm on my high horse, I must ask this.
Just how is the Forth Bridge going to be rapaired without funding of tolls?
Don't get me wrong, I think it is a great SNP winning pledge overall, but in the real world of financing? Doh!
|
Summer_08
|
Well, I'm glad it's been frozen for this year....it's a big chunk to pay out of your take home pay...the second biggest bill I have to pay (after the mortgage of course)
I would like to see it change over to a fairer way of paying - dunno how they work out the banding - I recently moved from a 2 bed flat to a 3 bed house and I'm in the same band - not that I'm complaining about that of course... 
But there are a lot of people who struggle to pay it - it really shouldn't be based on the valure of your house - that's no indication of wealth.
|
Xcotty
|
I live in a caravan, and found out recently.
That I pay more, than my mate, who lives in a flat. 
|
sissy
|
just doesn't seem right.
|
Xcotty
|
I know Sissy, when I get the chance, I'll go to the offices.
To see what the hell thats all about.
He has three bedrooms in his flat, I have two, but one is a shoebox? 
|
sissy
|
I have phoned them three times for a payment card and sent off a letter.Im still waiting for it,gosh! I only want to give my money away to them and they drag their heels.
|
Xcotty
|
Aye, you would think they don't want our money.
My lot were huffing about me paying by direct debit.
Until I said, if I didn't do it that way, they wouldn't get it.
That seemed to work. 
|
sissy
|
My brother has never payed a penny and still gets away with it.I was late one month and got a nasty letter. 
|
Xcotty
|
My bank made a mix up once, and the payment was late.
So I got a nasty letter from them too.
But I didn't know the bank had made a late payment.
When I asked them about it, they asked to see the letter.
The manager, threw the letter in his bin, and said, it was all sorted.
But I made him write a letter explaining, it was their mistake.
I got a letter of apology back, so I was quite happy.
My bank.
The Royal Bank Of Scotland.
|
Merak
|
Am I imagining things or is every other the time the snp opens its mouth it's to give another freebie? Its seeming more like a company trying to keep/attract customers, than a government. Can't help thinking that it's gimmickry. 
|
Summer_08
|
| Xcotty wrote: |
My lot were huffing about me paying by direct debit.
Until I said, if I didn't do it that way, they wouldn't get it. |
Hmm- our lot are desperate for folk to pay by DD
I refused - I don't trust them...bloody unorganised lot 
Example - when I moved house in Nov, they wanted the rest of the years tax in a lump sum on 1//1/08 (£400+)...if they had my DD details they would have just taken it.
|
Summer_08
|
| Merak wrote: | | Am I imagining things or is every other the time the snp opens its mouth it's to give another freebie? Its seeming more like a company trying to keep/attract customers, than a government. Can't help thinking that it's gimmickry. |
Shhhh - don't complain..... 
|
BoB
|
| Summer_08 wrote: |
I would like to see it change over to a fairer way of paying - dunno how they work out the banding - I recently moved from a 2 bed flat to a 3 bed house and I'm in the same band - not that I'm complaining about that of course...
|
I would like to know how they can charge the same for a bigger house?
There are three bedroomed, two bedroomed and one bedroomed houses in the same band around here!
How can they be of the same value and be in the same band?
|
Summer_08
|
^^Exactly
I think the banding was done in the early 90's?? I just think it's a really unfair way to work out tax.
|
Merak
|
well what they want to do here - which as been postponed for the moment - is to band council tax rates according to the value of your house. It's ridiculous. Your house could be valued at £150k today, yet you might be struggling to pay the £100k mortgage you took to buy it 10 years ago. I really don't see what the value of a house has got to do with consumption of council services or ability to pay based on that - the extra £50k that it's valued at today doesn't exist, unless you sell up and move on.
|
Summer_08
|
^^Whereabouts do you live Merak? That's how ours has been worked for as long as I've been paying it.
Our housing bands work out as:
Band A -Home value up to £27,000
B £27,001 - £35,000
C £35,001 - £45,000
D £45,001 - £58,000
E £58,001 - £80,000
F £80,001 - £106,000
G £106,001 - £212,000
H Over £212,000
^^^Now, I would LOVE to find a property round here under 80,000....but they don't exist...well, maybe they did 10 years ago
|
rickyross3359
|
The banding and price of the house it still at 90's house prices not todays.
The council tax is unfair anyway as it was related to property value and not income.
I personally think the SNP are right. Labour keep moaning but they were 8 years in government and council tax spiralled way out of control. They moan and moan about social justice now that they are in opposition - wasn't 8 years long enough? All I say is give the SNP a chance - not perfect( is any politician?) But for me I do believe they have Scotland's interest at heart. I lived doon South for a good 10 years and believe me Scotland is a lot better at social justice than doon there.
Labour are bound to bring up service cuts in councils, but the government has provided extra funding of 70 million this year and given the councils more freedom of were they money should be spent. Just wait for the scaremongering to start
|
BoB
|
It was far better when it was the rates.
Just because some people in big posh houses started complaining about how much they had to pay they scrapped it.
Pole tax was good in principle, but fraught with problems and could never work.
Council tax is still unfair and I don't know if a local income tax would work very well  It would be very expensive to collect for a start!
With people changing jobs etc, it would be a paper nightmare
|
Merak
|
| Summer_08 wrote: | ^^Whereabouts do you live Merak? That's how ours has been worked for as long as I've been paying it.
Our housing bands work out as:
Band A -Home value up to £27,000
B £27,001 - £35,000
C £35,001 - £45,000
D £45,001 - £58,000
E £58,001 - £80,000
F £80,001 - £106,000
G £106,001 - £212,000
H Over £212,000
^^^Now, I would LOVE to find a property round here under 80,000....but they don't exist...well, maybe they did 10 years ago |
Sorry, was away ahead of myself. What I was meaning is that the house prices have run away with themselves since the last banding, so unless they keep the method of calculating rebanding relative, which they probably won't, a lot of people will be in trouble. Apparently there's something like 100,000 teetering on the edge of mortgage arrears who'll be in trouble as it is if interest rates went up by 0.5%.
|
Merak
|
| BoB wrote: |
Pole tax was good in principle, but fraught with problems and could never work. |
I thought it was good in principle as well cause it was more based on individuals - all of whom are consumers of council services, which is what it paid for. I still never paid a penny of it though, but that was in protest at it being introduced a year early in scotland. I still lived with my parents at that time so didn't pay rates out my own pocket at that point and I was fekked if I was going to start paying poll tax a year before everybody else in the same position elsewhere in the country.
|
rickyross3359
|
I guess Local income tax would present itself with new difficulties. Council tax certainly hasn't been working and as I said spiralling way out of control each year. Although somehow the councils themselves always seemed to build new fab council offices for themselves! A lot of them also wanted to offload their council housing to housing associations.
I hope the SNP will be able to sort something out and for the moment welcome the freeze as a begining.
|
Merak
|
well the way the snp seems to love things for free, they'll be abolishing council tax shortly.
|
AllanP
|
| Merak wrote: | | well the way the snp seems to love things for free, they'll be abolishing council tax shortly. |
Let's hope they don't abolish too much too quickly!
The SNP government are trying to live up to their election manifesto and whilst I applaud that, I must ask again, just how are they going to cover the cost.
What with tolls on bridges scrapped and Council Taxes frozen with a view to being binned altogether with a "fairer?" method.
Next I suppose they will axe prescription charges just like the Welsh have done.
Great stuff I hear you say. But! - Who will fund all these shortfalls in Scottish revenue?
Whitehall? Not likely!
Scottish council services? Housing? Roads? The environment? National health? Schools? Some, none, others or all?
Let's hope the SNP have done their sums properly first, otherwise a black hole looms.
I do honestly wish Alex Salmond would look in on these our boards and perhaps give an answer!!!
He hasn't done so or bothered to do so, so far.
|
BoB
|
If there is a Council Tax Freeze, someone wants to tell Aberdeenshire Council
|
MikeS
|
The council tax has always bothered me.
With other utilities such as gas, electricity, telephone service, the customer has a choice. If you feel you're being overcharged you can take your custom elsewhere in a competitive market.
Local authorities have their countless committees who decide how much Mr & Mrs Bloggs will have to fork out to pay for their ineptitude in providing local services. They set an amount and wham, bang, thank you mam, you're billed an extortionate amount for very little in return. And if you're not happy with the bill? Tough. Someone has to pay for councillors numerous jaunts and freebies (Dalkeith, for example, has a twin town in the south of France - nice work if you can get it)
I know local services have to be paid for - in Midlothian Council's case rubbish not being collected, never-ending roadworks, streetlights that come on during the day but go off at night etc. etc. - but a system of local income tax where you can pay what you can afford would be a lot fairer in my view.
|
Des
|
We live on an island & our cottage is right out in the middle of nowhere.We have no street lights,hardly see a Policeman (unless they are skiving) recycle most of our rubbish waste if possible so the bin gets emptied once every 3 wks..
Our other waste goes to a septic tank & we are putting in a water meter cos we dont use as much as we are paying in council charges therefore its cheaper with a meter.
So surely the council should take all these factors i9nto consideration? nope its give us your money & get very little in return 
|
Summer_08
|
| MikeS wrote: | | Someone has to pay for councillors numerous jaunts and freebies (Dalkeith, for example, has a twin town in the south of France - nice work if you can get it) |
I've been to Dalkeith's twin town - Jarnac
And it's more of a dump than Dalkeith!!
|
Summer_08
|
Well, got the council tax bill for 08/09 through - and it IS the same as last year's
A slight comfort...but not much...
|
Guest
|
Apart from the increase in WATER CHARGES
|
sissy
|
Council Tax I have just spent two hour working mines out.Got a letter today saying I owe them £160,turns out they owe me £136.Guess who is on the phone tomorrow. 
|
Guest
|
| sissy wrote: | | Council Tax I have just spent two hour working mines out.Got a letter today saying I owe them £160,turns out they owe me £136.Guess who is on the phone tomorrow. |
erm... Ah give in!
|
Summer_08
|
| sissy wrote: | | Council Tax I have just spent two hour working mines out.Got a letter today saying I owe them £160,turns out they owe me £136.Guess who is on the phone tomorrow. |
Pffft - it will take about 3 hours to explain it to them and get them to understand if they are anything like our lot......about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike.
|
sissy
|
| Summer_08 wrote: | | sissy wrote: | | Council Tax I have just spent two hour working mines out.Got a letter today saying I owe them £160,turns out they owe me £136.Guess who is on the phone tomorrow. |
Pffft - it will take about 3 hours to explain it to them and get them to understand if they are anything like our lot......about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike. |
I have photo copied everything and written up a letter just incase I get a dumbo on the phone.Thats half of my Friday gone.
|
BoB
|
Pop in and see them in Crown Street sissy.
It's a lot quicker and you can explain it to a face not just a voice on the phone.
Oh, and take the letter with you.
|
sissy
|
Went into Crown St Bob when I was changing my name.There was about 15 people waiting and only two on the counter .No way was I waiting in that.
|
BoB
|
You must have been unlucky.
I was in and out in about 15 minutes
|
sissy
|
I've got someone coming round to the flat so I wouldn't get there until after 3pm.If I dont get any joy on the phone I might just give it a go.
|
BoB
|
Best of luck at that time.
You can always just hand it in.
|
sissy
|
|
AllanP
|
Just had my council tax bill through the post this morning. Guess what! Yes, the council tax has indeed been frozen - but the water rates have gone up, therefore my total bill for services for the year ahead has gone up.
I'm bloody annoyed needless to say! 
|
Guest
|
| BoB wrote: | You must have been unlucky.
I was in and out in about 15 minutes |
So nae change there then!
|
sissy
|
Spoke to a numpty who didnt want to listen,so I sent them my paper work,now sit back and wait for them to ignore it.
|
BoB
|
Go and kick some butt sissy 
|
sissy
|
Next Friday I shall be doing just that if I dont hear from them.
|
maria143
|
We are receiving and extra refund for each child and head of house hold..600 for the adult and up to 300 per child...1200.00 for joint (couples)...wooohooo....it's for cost of living....
|
Summer_08
|
| maria143 wrote: | | We are receiving and extra refund for each child and head of house hold..600 for the adult and up to 300 per child...1200.00 for joint (couples)...wooohooo....it's for cost of living.... |
Wow, not bad - how come you're getting a refund like that?
|
rickyross3359
|
Is this coocil tax freeze still on for the coming year now that that bloody budget has been passed?
|
Sidsnotwasere
|
It is that Ricky,yer water rates will be higher though but not by too much.
|
rickyross3359
|
Good one aint into paying it at the best of times. But it brings a warm glow to the heart to hear about something not going up.
|
Lord Blackadder
|
Obviously, I pay a huge whack for the Manor ... but I can afford it! It's you peasants I feel for, who are being crushed by a system that is completely wrong.
I know many people don't like means testing ... buit surely it's all right if it means the poorest in our society pay the least?
The fault clearly lies with an inadequate taxation system that does its best to ignore the incredibly wealthy (like me) and hounds the rest of you into early graves! I wouldn't blame you all if you got yourselves together and had an anti-Tax march, refusing to pay any of it, until those in power taxed the filthy rich (like me) who can afford it at higher rates than the rest of you!
Ever seen the play, "Can't Pay, Won't Pay" by Dario Fo??? Maybe it's time for a revival ... and a move to have the system changed root and branch! Especially, since you all bailed the banks out, suffered the crunch and can't get loans ... while (as is reported this morning) RBS are ready to pay out huge bonuses to their executive staff!!!
You need to get angry ... and stay angry!!! The Labour and Socialist party has betrayed its origins ... so trust no-one and start screaming for parity and equality!!!
Of course, none of will ever approach my level of class (number 1 in a field of 1) ... but you can try!!! 
|
Sidsnotwasere
|
Mmm,i think your spot on BA. 
|
Xcotty
|
| Sidsnotwasere wrote: |
Mmm,i think your spot on BA. |
Indeed Sidney. 
|
Lord Blackadder
|
........ and I think you're both
|
Xcotty
|
Are those testicles? 
You are a bit nut's Lordy B. 
|
Lord Blackadder
|
Nuts.
Not every word that end's with an "s", need's an apo's'trophe!!! 
This forum is looking like you all work in supermarkets. They've no idea either!!!
|
Xcotty
|
I write whatever I write, in my own way pal.
I don't get bound down by the rules.
You should try it, it's good fun.
|
Lord Blackadder
|
Not when it looks like a mess! I'm WAY too anal for that!!!
|
BoB
|
| Lord Blackadder wrote: | | I'm WAY too anal for that!!! |
|
irritateddata
|
be glad council taxes are frozen. At the same time in England all council taxes are to rise dramatically (again).
|
irritateddata
|
| Lord Blackadder wrote: | | I'm WAY too anal for that!!! |
|
Sidsnotwasere
|
Just great eh?
Every council in Scotland has voted to have a council tax freeze bar one.
North Lanarkshire council.
Thanks to their inability to pay female employees the same wages as male employees,they look set to raise taxes in order to pay women the same rate of pay as men,why didnt the idiots pay females the same rate as men to begin with instead of slave labour.
|
|
|
