Business rate income for local authorities halved in the first quarter, while council tax income stayed steady, according to the first official figures on the impact of Covid-19 on council income.
West Suffolk Council prevented 299 fraudulent single-person Council Tax discounts last year – resulting in a saving of £240,362, according to figures from the authority.
St Albans City and District Council says it is making “good progress” in tackling fraud, after adopting new technology to identity residents who are potentially abusing council tax discounts for...
An annual survey revealed 57% of English local authorities are making the maximum allowable increase to council tax in an attempt to finance service demand. CIPFA chief executive Rob Whiteman...
Blanket deferrals or non-payment of council tax could have a “serious effect” on council funding in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the County Councils Network.
The government has confirmed the £500m hardship fund announced during the Budget will be used to fund council tax relief for vulnerable households affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
A reform of the council tax system could see a 50% decrease in payments for people in the most deprived regions of the country, says the Institute of Fiscal Studies.
Council charges for services such as garden waste removal, funeral services and public lavatories have increased above inflation over the last decade, according to The Times.
Local authorities’ biggest source of income also represents the largest area of identified fraud but recent initiatives are changing this, writes CIPFA’s Marc McAuley.
A local income tax would be better than a tourist tax in raising revenue locally for councils, the Institute for Fiscal Studies associate director David Phillips said this morning.
Debate about levels of council tax is doomed to go nowhere unless we consider what we’re willing to pay for services and how, says the Local Government Information Unit’s Jonathan Carr-West.
Welsh councils should ensure they take “early intervention” to stop more households falling into debt as they look to increase council tax next year, a think-tank has said.