Council Tax for 2012/2013

[megilleland]

I was intrigued to see that those living in Belmont (Belmont Rural Parish Council) pay less than those in Newton Farm (Hereford City Parish Council). As the council tax is based on rental values, I would of thought these figures were the opposite way round. Have I read these right?

 

# Belmont in Belmont Rural Parish Council Band/£

* Newton Farm in Hereford City Council Parish Council Band/£

 

#992.31 band A

*999.23 difference +6.92

 

#1157.68 band B

*1165.76 difference +7.88

 

#1323.07 band C

*1332.30 difference +9.23

 

#1488.45 band D

*1498.84 difference +10.39

 

#1819.23 band E

*1831.93 difference +12.70

 

#2150.00 band F

*2165.01 difference +15.01

 

#2480.76 band G

*2498.07 difference +17.31

 

#2976.90 band H

*2997.68 difference +20.78

 

I know it is only a few pounds a year, but it looks as if the less well off are paying more again.

Looking at last years council tax demand, when there was no council tax increase, and listening to David Cameron saying that councils should freeze the council tax, Hereford City Parish Council's proportion increased by 2.8%.

[Frank Smith]

Interesting...

[BRPC]

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on this but I don't think this is quite the way it works.

 

The actual tax band your property falls within is based upon a national calculation which is based on property values. However, what you pay within each band depends upon the council tax set by your local authority and is made up of lots of different parts including a levy by the police and a parish element which is based upon the precept or funding requested by the parish council. Unitary authorities such as Herefordshire Council (which provides many of the services for local residents such as bin collecting for example) are capped but parish councils are not, which is why many of the larger authorities are now trying to pass on financial responsibility for some services to parish councils. Both Hereford City Council and Belmont Rural are parishes and hence able to set what they feel is an appropriate precept element to your overall council tax bill.

 

As residents living in a parish only pay the parish element for where they live and this can be the reason why there's a difference in the amounts paid by Newton Farm (City Parish) and the Belmont Estate (Belmont Rural parish) for the same banded property. The City is, of course, a much larger Parish and provides much more in the way of facilities and services it its own right than Belmont Rural does hence it's precept requirement is much higher than BRPC but then it's split amongst many more households.

 

Hope this helps explain it a bit.

[Frank Smith]

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on this but I don't think this is quite the way it works.

 

The actual tax band your property falls within is based upon a national calculation which is based on property values. However, what you pay within each band depends upon the council tax set by your local authority and is made up of lots of different parts including a levy by the police and a parish element which is based upon the precept or funding requested by the parish council. Unitary authorities such as Herefordshire Council (which provides many of the services for local residents such as bin collecting for example) are capped but parish councils are not, which is why many of the larger authorities are now trying to pass on financial responsibility for some services to parish councils. Both Hereford City Council and Belmont Rural are parishes and hence able to set what they feel is an appropriate precept element to your overall council tax bill.

 

As residents living in a parish only pay the parish element for where they live and this can be the reason why there's a difference in the amounts paid by Newton Farm (City Parish) and the Belmont Estate (Belmont Rural parish) for the same banded property. The City is, of course, a much larger Parish and provides much more in the way of facilities and services it its own right than Belmont Rural does hence it's precept requirement is much higher than BRPC but then it's split amongst many more households.

 

Hope this helps explain it a bit.

This is a very good explanation thank you.