What is Council Tax debt?
Some debts are really charges that you are obliged to pay – Council Tax arrears are a prime example. Unlike other debts, you do not agree to take out this debt: it is simply imposed on you as an obligation, and large Council Tax arrears can easily start to run up if you forget to, or are unable to, make payments.
Council Tax arrears are a serious problem for many people across Scotland. By virtue of having a home, we are all (to varying degrees) liable for Council Tax payments and, by failing to make those payments, we can quickly fall into Council Tax arrears.
How it can happen
This situation can arise in a number of ways, including family breakdowns or even lack of communication within a household where one party thinks the other is paying or has paid the Council Tax over a period – only to discover that this is not the case, and that Council Tax arrears have gradually built up.
There are of course various rebates, discounts and exemptions available, depending on your personal circumstances, but, once you have run up Council Tax arrears, you will have to find a way to deal with those arrears if you are unable to make the payments.
Local councils have special powers to recover such debts, which makes finding a solution even more important.