New Council Tax warning to people inheriting a home from bereaved relative
Under current rules, most local authorities offer a grace period of up to six months during which Council Tax is not payable on a property that has been left empty due to the death of its owner.
However, the process of obtaining probate, selling the property and completing conveyancing often exceeds this timeframe, which can leave families vulnerable to unexpected charges.
The warning comes after one council in England reportedly imposed a second home levy on an estate property, even though it was not used as a second home.
The six-month exemption did not apply in this case because the property was legally in the son's name at the time of the owner's death, meaning the council considered it a second home from a technical perspective.
Andrew Wilkinson, head of inheritance disputes at Lime Solicitors, described the decision as 'incredibly harsh'.
He said: 'It's deeply concerning to see councils imposing hefty council tax bills on grieving families who are already navigating the complex probate process. In all my years of practice, this isn't something I have seen before, and it feels extremely unfair, especially when executors are actively trying to deal with the estate.
'In most cases, it takes many months, often over a year, to obtain a grant of probate, arrange a sale and complete conveyancing. That means most families are already struggling with delays before they even get the chance to put the property on the market. If councils start piling on charges prematurely, it only adds to the emotional and financial stress.
'Families dealing with estate properties should proactively communicate with their local council to explain the situation and timelines. This can help in negotiating any available exemptions or reliefs. Additionally, if a property is expected to remain vacant for an extended period, renting it out might be a viable option to offset council tax liabilities, though this comes with its own set of responsibilities and considerations.'
The warning comes amid a nationwide crackdown on second homes - part of a UK Government-led effort to tackle the housing shortage in popular towns and rural communities.
On April 1, 2025, more than 200 local authorities across England implemented new powers allowing them to levy a 100 per cent Council Tax premium on properties that are furnished but not the owner's main residence.
The policy, introduced by Michael Gove in 2023, was originally aimed at curbing the 'scourge' of second homes in coastal towns where housing supply is under pressure. However, its rollout is now affecting a far broader range of properties.
Andrew said: 'This policy was designed to free-up housing, not penalise bereaved families. The loss of a loved one is already a challenging time. Families shouldn't be further burdened by unexpected financial pressures due to administrative oversights or rigid policies.
'It's imperative councils handle such situations with the sensitivity and understanding they deserve. Probate is complex enough without councils jumping the gun on tax.'
Most councils in Scotland have information on inherited homes after someone dies on their website.
Guidance on the South Lanarkshire council website states: 'If a property is unoccupied because the occupier has died, as long as it is unoccupied, and liability for Council Tax falls solely to the estate of that person, it could be exempt from Council Tax.
'If the property was owned jointly with someone else, is owned by someone else, or is held in a Trust, liability for Council Tax will fall to that owner, or Trust, and this exemption category won't apply.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
26 minutes ago
- Reuters
Liverpool spending backed by title win and long-term plan, says CEO
July 24 (Reuters) - Liverpool's big-money investment on transfers is the result of long-term planning, club CEO Billy Hogan said, adding that winning a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title convinced the club it was time to act like a modern powerhouse. Liverpool's latest acquisition, French striker Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal worth 79 million pounds ($106.84 million), including add-ons, has taken the club's transfer expenditure this window to nearly 300 million pounds. Outgoings, six players including Trent Alexander-Arnold, have so far generated around 64 million pounds. The outlay marks a sharp departure from Liverpool's traditionally measured approach in the market. However, Hogan insists the club has not deviated from the club's policy of financial sustainability. "It doesn't just happen; it's been years in the making," Hogan told The Athletic, opens new tab in an interview. "One of the things we're constantly focused on is that 'virtuous circle'. Trying to run the club in the right way to ensure that we can generate as much revenue as we possibly can. That obviously helps in terms of being able to put more back into the team. "The difficulty is if you just look at one individual summer. That probably skews the data. There were a lot of comments made last summer that we didn't spend enough..." Hogan explained the approach reflects the ambitions of American-led Fenway Sports Group (FSG), who are seeking to build on last season's Premier League title under manager Arne Slot. "We also recognise, having won the English league title for the 20th time, that this is one of the biggest clubs in the world. We want to make sure that we are behaving like one," he added. "Having massive global stars come and play at Anfield, filling out stadiums in Hong Kong and Japan, those are things we expect and want to do." Liverpool face AC Milan in Kowloon, Hong Kong on Saturday, before taking on Yokohama FM in the J League World Challenge in Yokohama on Wednesday. They begin their Premier League title defence at home against Bournemouth on August 15. ($1 = 0.7394 pounds)
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Get every child under 13 off social media immediately, minister tells tech giants
Every child in the UK under the age of 13 must be barred from social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and X, the Technology Secretary has said. In an interview with The Telegraph, Peter Kyle said he was aiming for '100 per cent' enforcement of the new laws, which come into force on Friday, requiring tech firms to block children aged under 13 from their platforms. He said he 'expected' the estimated 1.8 million children aged eight to 12 in the UK who already have social media accounts to be removed from the sites. 'I cannot see the circumstances where online activity under 13, when it comes to social media, is ever appropriate. So in this instance, it is right that the Government sets this baseline from which parents can build appropriate boundaries for their families,' said Mr Kyle. 'I've not met anybody within these companies that thinks it is appropriate or that allows their own children to use these products under the age of 13. So we should be working together to solve this issue.' 'Partnering with parents' Asked if that meant the 60 per cent of eight to 12-year-olds with social media accounts should be thrown off, he said: 'I would expect them to be removed and for the law to be rigorously enforced. 'It's going to be really hard for kids who have access that will now have it taken away. It is tough, but we're on the side of parents here. 'Parents repeatedly tell me that once they're on [social media], it is a constant battle between parent and child to get it out of their hands, particularly interrupting study time, bedtime and family time. So we are now partnering with parents, giving them the baseline to move forward.' The tech firms have been told they must either ensure their minimum age limits of 13 are properly enforced, or radically overhaul their sites to make content safe enough for the tens of thousands of underage children currently using them. The measures are part of new children's codes set by the regulator Ofcom, which require companies to block their access to harmful content, including suicide, self-harm, violence or misogyny, from July 25. From Friday, firms hosting porn will also be required by law to introduce 'highly effective' age checks such as credit cards, photo ID matching and digital ID services to prevent any under-18s accessing their sites. The top 10 adult websites, which account for 40 per cent of porn site users, have signed up to these age checks along with over 6,000 other sites including Elon Musk's X, Grindr and Reddit. Those that fail to implement age checks at the ages of 13 and 18 will face fines of up to 10 per cent of their global turnover or be banned from operating in the UK. Mr Kyle said Ofcom must not hesitate to use its powers, including blocking sites to 'send the message that access to the British economy and society is a privilege, not a right'. At least half a dozen tech firms, including a suicide forum and micro-blogging site, have already withdrawn from the UK market by geo-blocking users rather than comply with the Online Safety Act. The changes on Friday follow the implementation in March of tougher bans on illegal online content including child sex abuse, terrorism and fraud. However, Ofcom's new powers are considered more significant for protecting children from 'legal' harms such as suicide and self harm content, which are blamed for 14-year-old Molly Russell taking her own life. Mr Kyle said the move represented the 'biggest step change in the experience of young people online since the internet was created'. It also marks the culmination of an eight-year campaign by The Telegraph for a statutory duty of care on tech giants to protect children from online harms. On behalf of the Government, he offered an apology: 'My other reflection is the huge apology we owe young people who are over the age of 13 and yet lived in the online smartphone era. 'They were unprotected from the vile, harmful and damaging forces that made their way into their feeds without any restraint. I and we as a society owe them an apology, and I certainly offer it with all sincerity.' Mr Kyle said the changes would mean tech bosses, who can face up to two years in jail under the laws for persistent breaches of regulations, would 'live in anxiety' rather than the children who have previously been fed 'harmful content'. 'It means that people who peddle harmful and criminal content will finally be the people who live in anxiety, because we can and we will come after them if they continue to peddle their content,' said Mr Kyle. 'I expect the law to be enforced to the full extent of the powers that Parliament has granted.' He also warned there would be tough penalties for tech firms that tried to circumvent the new laws with, for example, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) where users can disguise their IDs and bypass blocks on content. 'If platforms or sites signpost towards workarounds like VPNs, then that itself is a crime and will be tackled by these codes,' said Mr Kyle. 'If a company directly delivers harmful content into the feeds of children, it is the arrival into their feeds which is the offence. If they direct children via other means to that content, it has the same outcome.' He confirmed the Government was considering further measures to combat the 'addictive' nature of social media by introducing two-hour caps on app time and curfews to limit use before bedtime. They are expected to be unveiled in the Autumn. 'In the offline world, parents set boundaries on diet, exercise, social networks and sleep time but we've never had that conversation about the online world. It's time we did,' said Mr Kyle. He added: 'It is not telling parents how to parent, but offering tools to parents to set the kind of family life that they think appropriate.' Mr Kyle revealed that at every meeting with tech bosses, he imagined there was a camera in the room where parents like Molly Russell's father who lost their children in online tragedies could watch him. 'Would they feel their views and their children's experiences had been represented? I hope that they would,' he said. 'Some of those conversations I've had have been uncomfortable and ended uncomfortably.' He said that was the reason why he was aiming for all harmful content to be removed from children's feeds. 'I'm aiming for 100 per cent but I need to be realistic with people,' he said. 'If we take steps forward where 70, 80, or even more per cent of vile, hateful, damaging content disappears from children's feeds, that's a win that I'll take to the bank and move forward from. 'But these companies have the capacity to allow hundreds of millions, if not billions, of posts to go online rapidly. Don't tell me they don't have the infrastructure that enables it to be removed too. 'This Act has been one of the longest pieces of legislation in gestation, in its passage through Parliament and its pathway to implementation, than any other. They have had time. They have seen the direction of travel. Now it's time to act.'
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Ghana narrows fiscal deficit target after better-than-expected first half
ACCRA, July 24 (Reuters) - Ghana has narrowed its fiscal deficit target for 2025 after a better-than-expected first six months of the year, its finance minister said on Thursday, pledging to get public finances back on track. The West African country is emerging from its worst economic crisis in a generation, featuring turmoil in its cocoa and gold industries, a severe cost-of-living squeeze and a lengthy debt-restructuring process. But this year, key macroeconomic indicators have improved, with growth accelerating to 5.3% year-on-year in the first quarter and inflation falling to 13.7% in June, its lowest since 2021. The government now expects a fiscal deficit of 3.8% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) this year, narrower than the 4.1% targeted in March, Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson told parliament during a mid-year review of public finances. In the first six months the deficit was 1.1% of GDP, ahead of the 2.4% targeted. Forson said economic growth could possibly exceed the March target of 4% and officials were hopeful they could hit the year-end inflation target of 11.9% ahead of schedule. "We have borrowed less than we planned, signifying strong expenditure control and fiscal discipline," Forson said. "This is a strong signal to the investor community and all stakeholders that the needed fiscal consolidation is happening here in Ghana and it will be sustained." In the first half of the year, total revenue and grants were roughly 3% short of target, but expenditure came in 14% below target. Forson said risks to the public purse included a shortfall in customs revenue, mounting wage pressures and smuggling of marine gas oil, adding Ghana was not out of the woods yet.
