Property tax - no exemptions for the unemployed / sick?

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ian866

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Surprised today to find out for local property tax there isn’t an exemption if a person is out of work due to being sick. The person in question has a medical card etc. but seems there’s no exemptions for this.

What’s peoples opinions on this? I assumed there would be an exemption
 
ian866 said:
Surprised today to find out for local property tax there isn’t an exemption if a person is out of work due to being sick. The person in question has a medical card etc. but seems there’s no exemptions for this.

What’s peoples opinions on this? I assumed there would be an exemption
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I'm not up to date with the latest on LPT, but isn't there an option of deferring the tax if one's income isn't sufficient to pay it?
 
Don't forget its a deferral, not an exemption, so it will remain payable against the property on sale if the deferral continues.
Its considered fair as it is a tax on the asset value, and considered a form of wealth. Non owners don't pay it because they don't own anything.
 
Brendan Burgess said:
It's not because they don't own anything. It's because the government is too spineless to charge people for the services that they use. So those in social housing don't have to pay it even if they have high earnings.
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It is because they don't own property:) You're probably right in the rest, mind you.
 
Brendan Burgess said:
It's not because they don't own anything. It's because the government is too spineless to charge people for the services that they use. So those in social housing don't have to pay it even if they have high earnings.
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Correct.

There are people paying a mortgage, along with management fees, insurance/maintenance etc - from after-tax income - living in apartment blocks with 10% or more Social (Part V). The latter tenants pay an extremely generous "differential" rent and don't have to worry about most of the other costs. (I'm told most new social houses come fully furnished too - or with payments for purchase of furniture.)

In a previous life I worked for several years in a London Borough administering what was then known as the Poll Tax (officially the Community Charge.) It was paid by all adults over 18 at their "sole or main residence" - with some exemptions and reductions for those on Housing Benefits, and full-time students etc. It was Margaret Thatcher's brainchild and in theory it was much fairer than Domestic Rates which it replaced. And since it was for "local government services" - everyone paid regardless of home ownership status.

The Poll Tax was later replaced with the Council Tax - a kind of a hybrid of Property Tax/Poll Tax. But it's still paid by all - whether a renter or property owner.
 
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