Publication of Council Tax Procedures

[Swingletree]

Hi, does anyone know whether Council Tax procedures used by local councils regarding recovery and enforcement of CT should be written down and be available, say to members of the public via a Freedom of Information Act request.

I got fobbed off some time ago when I asked the council for their procedures and the answer came back 'we don't have any, all our procedures are within the software that we use'.


If there is such a thing I need to know the Act/Regulation which says this information should be available. I might need to be able to quote it in the future.


Thank you for your assistance

[enaid]

Re: Publication of Council Tax Procedures

Best person to ask on this matter is Amy, she did FOI requests for a few of us to send to our local councils the responses were quite naff tbh but she will be able to tell you exactly what they wrote.

[labman]

Re: Publication of Council Tax Procedures

This was the main piece of legislation:

The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992

amended in 1993, 1998 and in England in 2003

[Swingletree]

Re: Publication of Council Tax Procedures

This was the main piece of legislation:

The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992

amended in 1993, 1998 and in England in 2003

I have this piece of information, thank you.

My original post was about how councils put that into every day language and procedures, and whether that information is available or should be available to council tax payers

[labman]

Re: Publication of Council Tax Procedures

Many councils have their policies published on the internet. Was it a generic question, or are you looking for a specific council?

[Swingletree]

Re: Publication of Council Tax Procedures

Many councils have their policies published on the internet. Was it a generic question, or are you looking for a specific council?

Generic , first stop and then I shall be moving on to a specific council to make a more specific FOI request.

I am doing my 'background' homework at this stage. As I said before in my first post, I have already been fobbed off and I am needing this time to get a 'concrete' answer

[Amy]

Re: Publication of Council Tax Procedures

As Enaid says, I did send FOIs to 5 various councils and the answers varied greatly. It was also extremely time consuming since they are so inept on every level.

As far as I am aware though, there is no legal requirement for the councils to have their own written procedures. However, if they do have them and you requested them by way of a Freedom of Information Act request, then yes, they must supply them to you.

You need to be very careful how you word a FOI request, because they will wriggle out of answering if at all possible.

If you want a copy of the one I used, then let me know.

[Swingletree]

Re: Publication of Council Tax Procedures

If you want a copy of the one I used, then let me know.

It may very well be helpful, if you could let me have a copy.... thanks

[Amy]

Re: Publication of Council Tax Procedures

No problem. Drop me a PM with your email address and I'll send you it.

[Crazy council]

Re: Publication of Council Tax Procedures

hi
could i have a copy of the foi responces, i have been researching that issue.

regards george

[labman]

Re: Publication of Council Tax Procedures

Are you able to say preferably on open forum, otherwise by pm, which council you are trying to find out about?

[Crazy council]

Re: Publication of Council Tax Procedures

Hi they do have some regulation to follow above the 1992 act. Its guidlines provided by CIPFA, most councils that i have researched follow very similar guidlines, i would say about 80% of councils dont follow them though before applying for liability orders or chasing payments.

When your asking councils for this stuff, remember to ask for there old guidlines as well, one of the things i have learnt to do after fighting councils over this info.