Council Tax Change Of Address
When you move house or flat, it's important to make sure you inform the local council of your new address for your council tax payments. By not doing so, you may end up paying for two properties or being charged more than you should be, you will need to update this as soon as possible either before or after your actual move.
Moved recently or in the near future?
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Why you need to update your address quickly
- A change of address may affect how often you pay your Council Tax
- Certain discounts and exemptions you receive may change too
- If payment arrangements have been changed, your new address might be needed
- You may be liable to pay additional Council Tax if your address is not updated
- A failure to report a change of address may lead to prosecution and fines
- Failure to pay Council Tax due to incorrect address may result in a site visit by an enforcement agent
This article aims to help give guidance on the reasons why as well as help you get started for updating your council tax with your local authority, read on to find out how to update your council tax address quickly and easily.
Applying for change of address
Making changes to your residence address for your council tax bill is not a complicated process. All you need to do is take the following steps:
- Visit your local municipality website and find the section related to council taxes.
- You will need to log in to the relevant portal using your credentials which you created when you initially registered.
- Once logged in, locate and click on the 'Change of Address' option or tab.
- Now simply enter your new address. This will usually trigger an additional field which will ask you to confirm the new address.
- Once done, save your changes and you'll have successfully applied for change of address.
Submitting proof of change
Just like submitting a change of address in any other administrative process, you will be required to submit relevant proof documents. These will usually include a:
- Copy of a tenancy agreement if you have recently shifted into rented accommodation.
- Copy of any proof pieces of documentation like an electrical bill in the new address.
Your local municipality might have other specific requirements or procedures that you must flow through in order to have your change of address approved.
Waiting periods
It is common for any changed information related to any type of government bureaucracy to take some time before it is updated in their systems. As a rough guide, it usually takes around one to four weeks for the changes to be reflected on your council tax bill.
Confirmation of the council tax change
If after four weeks your council tax bill still has not been updated with the requested changes, then it is recommended to make a follow-up call - or a few - just to make sure that the changes were registered. It can also be useful for giving your application a bit of a nudge along the process of getting updated to your current address.
What if your moving request is rejected?
If your initial request was not accepted then there may be several reasons why. You may not have supplied sufficient evidence to confirm the change in address, or there may have been some content issues with the documents provided. Make sure to reach out and get clarity if needed from the local authority in order to rectify any problems so that your application is approved as soon as possible. Furthermore, make sure that you always keep a record and track all types of correspondence so that they can be referred back to later if needed.