Council Tax

[sandbach99]

On April 1st our Borough Council will be replaced by an Unitarian Council, this new council has sent out council tax bills.

Is it legal for a council which does not yet officially exist to send out these bills?

I am fully aware it has to be paid but question if it is correct to send out bills before they actually exist , should they have waited until the first of April.

[kempie]

Cheshire East Council I presume.

No doubt the bills are advance notification of what will be payable for the period 01-04-09 to 31-03-10 with the first instalment not being required until April, at which time the Council will "exist".

Cheshire East has been legally tasked to be a shadow council ahead of the changeover to ensure an orderly transition. It was they who set the budget for 2009-10 and from this the new Council Tax rates. Sending the bills out during March allows a better chance of the 360,000-ish population (150,000-ish households) to receive their bills in an orderly fashion (i.e. with reduced chance of late delivery - such as after the first payment is meant to be made).

[sandbach99]

Thanks for your reply, yes it is Cheshire East, I expect the fact they are a shadow council allows them to do this.

If I sent 150 thousand bills for �1000+ from a non-existant company I would have thought I would be in trouble for deception.

[1967chelsea]

It is not a legal document, therefore has no validity.