The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992

PART IV Discounts

Interpretation of Part IV

13.  In this Part—

(a) any reference to the chargeable amount is a reference to an amount which a person is liable to pay (whether solely or jointly and severally) in respect of a particular dwelling, to a billing authority in respect of council tax for a financial year and includes, unless the context otherwise requires, an amount which in the opinion of the authority a person will be so liable to pay; and

(b) any reference to any calculation of the chargeable amount includes a reference to any estimate of the amount.

Ascertainment of entitlement to discount

14.  Before making any calculation for the purposes of Part V of these Regulations of the chargeable amount in respect of any dwelling in its area, a billing authority shall take reasonable steps to ascertain whether that amount is subject to any discount under section 11 of the Act or, in the case of a chargeable dwelling in Wales, that section or section 12 of the Act, and if so, the amount of that discount.

Assumptions as to discount

15.—(1) Where, having taken such steps as are referred to in regulation 14, a billing authority has no reason to believe that the chargeable amount for the financial year concerned is subject to a discount, it shall assume, in making any calculation of the chargeable amount for the purposes of Part V of these Regulations, that the chargeable amount is not subject to any discount.

(2) Where, having taken such steps as are referred to in regulation 14, a billing authority has reason to believe that the chargeable amount for the financial year concerned is subject to a discount of a particular amount, it shall assume, in making any such calculation as is mentioned in paragraph (1) above, that the chargeable amount is subject to a discount of that amount.

Correction of discount assumptions

16.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), where a person—

(a) has been informed in accordance with any provision of demand notice regulations of an assumption as to discount made in his case; and

(b) at any time before the end of the financial year following the financial year in respect of which the assumption is made has reason to believe that the chargeable amount is not in fact subject to any discount, or is subject to a discount of a smaller amount,

he shall, within the period of 21 days beginning on the day on which he first has reason so to believe, notify the authority in writing of his belief.

(2) Where persons are jointly and severally liable to pay council tax in respect of the dwelling and period concerned, the duty under paragraph (1) to supply information is a duty of each of them, but is discharged if one of them supplies the information on behalf of both or all of them.

(3) For the purposes of paragraphs (1) and (2), the fact that any person concerned has wholly or partly discharged his liability to pay the amount shall be ignored.