Council cracks down on unpaid tax

Councils in parts of East Anglia have cracked down on council tax dodgers by issuing charging order on residents who have refused to pay.

Councils in parts of East Anglia have cracked down on council tax dodgers by issuing charging order on residents who have refused to pay.

More than �61,000 of unpaid Council Tax has been recovered over the past two years in East Anglia by issuing 30 charging orders on residents who had previously refused to pay.

The cash has been recovered by the Anglia Revenues Partnership comprising the three local authorities of Breckland, East Cambs and Forest Heath district councils.

It has obtained a further 21 charging orders since Council Tax bills were sent out in April 2009 and is awaiting the financial results from those orders.

With these orders in place, ARP can wait until the property changes ownership to recover unpaid tax or go back to court to force the sale of the property.

Although more than 98 per cent of residents pay Council Tax bills when they are due, ARP officers say there are a small number who refuse to pay even though they have the means to do so and it is the deliberate non-payers that councils have targeted.

Breckland Council executive member for communities and benefits, Theresa Hewett, said: “These measures were employed to take action against a very small number of people who are deliberately avoiding payment. Residents who are facing genuine difficulties paying their Council Tax should contact ARP direct to discuss their situation.”

She said there are benefits available to help anyone experiencing real financial problems and a number of independent organisations can advise and help people with debt management.”

Residents experiencing difficulty in paying their Council Tax should e-mail council@angliarevenues.gov.uk or telephone 01362 656871.