The saying goes that there are two things certain in life. Those are death and taxes. We have an awful lot of outgoings when we have a property. This can include skyrocketing energy bills, water payments and plenty of maintenance. However, there is another tax to pay. It’s council tax. Most of us pay this for 10 months of the year, with two months off. When are your council tax free months? Let’s take a look!
Why Do We Pay Council Tax?
Whilst the council tax payments trickle out of our bank accounts month after month, do you actually know what you’re paying for? Council tax actually pays for a variety of things in your local area. This includes but is not limited to, schools, bin collections, libraries, parks and leisure facilities. Some of the council tax payment also goes to local police and fire services.
Check Your Council Tax Band
The average council tax per dwelling will be £1,493. Split over 10 months, that’s almost £150 a month. The amount that we all pay for our council tax depends on the band that our home is given. The problem is that these council tax bands were set over 30 years ago in 1991. Many of these are actually incorrect so people might be paying over the odds for their council tax. It is well worth looking into the council tax band that your property has, comparing it with similar properties on your street and in your area to see if you are in the wrong band. This could save you money on your monthly payment and the overpayments could be backdated and returned to you.
When Are Your Council Tax Free Months?
It is important t know when your council tax free months are if you are making payments 10 out of 12 months. The council tax free months are February and March. Meaning that during those months, you won’t be paying council tax. When you consider that £150 average monthly bill, that’s £150 you don’t need to shell out for two months of the year. It’s important to state here that if you are struggling with those payments, you can contact the council and opt to pay over 12 months instead of 10. Whilst you won’t then get council tax free months, your monthly bill will drop as the total amount will be divided by 12 instead of 10.
Redirect That Money
If you are one of the people who have council tax free months, you can redirect that money to other areas of your live. Maybe you have debt that you can bring down or even clear with a £300 payment. Perhaps you can put it towards your energy bills. For some, it could be just a break from stressing about finding that money for a couple of months. It might be that those council tax free months give you enough money to put aside for a short summer break. What will you do with the money you don’t have to pay for those council tax free months?
It is important to be on top of our bills and be completely transparent with the money we are bringing in and paying out. This helps us to stay financially afloat and manage our money properly. When we know that we have two council tax free months coming up, we can plan where our cash is going and where we can save money. It helps us to keep a handle on our personal finances.
