Students and School Leavers
When will I have to pay Council Tax?
If you are under 18 years old and live at home with your family or as part of another household, you will not have to pay Council Tax and you will not be counted as an adult when working out the Council Tax for the household.
When you reach 18, if you still live at home with your family or as part of another household, the householder will remain responsible for the Council Tax.
If you are under 18 years old but live on your own you will not have to pay Council Tax. The owner of the property you live in will be responsible until you are 18, but no Council Tax will be payable.
When you reach 18, if you live on your own, you will become liable for the Council Tax, but you may be exempt or entitled to a discount. Please see the following information.
Will I be counted for Council Tax?
In most cases, full Council Tax is due if there are two or more persons aged 18 or over living in a household, but some people are not counted when working out the Council Tax bill. These include
- Children under 18
- Children aged 18 or over for whom Child Benefit is paid
- School leavers under 20 who finish a full time course of education between 1 May and 31 October. This does not apply to students who take a year out or change courses
- Youth Training (YTS) trainees under 25 years of age on a training scheme funded by the Learning & Skills Council
- Student nurses on prescribed courses
- Certain apprentices earning less than £195 per week
- Foreign language students registered with the British Council
- Full time students in higher education at a prescribed educational establishment for at least 21 hours per week and 24 weeks per year
- Full time students under 20 years old in further education at a prescribed educational establishment for at least 12 hours per week
Qualifying conditions apply and proof of entitlement to the above discounts will be required. Students must provide a certificate from the educational establishment.
Where a property is occupied only by full time qualifying students, there will be no Council Tax to pay. Proof of student status must be provided.
If you think you may be entitled to a discount or exemption, or if you want more details or an application form, please contact the Local Taxes Division or make an application using the online e-form.
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