If a tenant who works full time, lives in a property with a student for several months or a year and forgets to inform the council, is it likely a council would prosecute them for fraud even if they payed all the council tax that was due and sought to rectify the mistake?

I imagine this varies between councils but by law would the council be able to prosecute?

I mean is this likely? I imagine most councils would just let it go if they paid up?

Students are not normally liable for council tax - as far as I am aware, so I don't think it is a fraud as such, unless you are getting the paltry 25% single persons discount (this used to be 50% but they reduced it quickly to 25%).

Students are not normally liable for council tax - as far as I am aware, so I don't think it is a fraud as such, unless you are getting the paltry 25% single persons discount (this used to be 50% but they reduced it quickly to 25%).

Hey, thanks for your reply.

I think you misunderstood. I mean a situation where someone in full time work is living with a student and the person in full time work doesn't tell the council they are living there but the student does.

Would the FT worker then be prosecuted for council tax fraud even if they sought to rectify the mistake by contacting the council, notifying them of the error and paying the council tax?

Hi, The law states that any person over the age of 18 years living at an address

is liable for the council tax unless they are covered by one of the exemptions ie student or clergyman etc.

Fraud prosecutions vary on a case by case basis. It will depend on how long it went on for, how much money was involved, whether the person paid the debt, whether they came forward voluntarily or whether the Council uncovered the fraud and whether there is any mitigating circumstances. Cases take time and money to prosecute so Councils will not prosecute every case.

So I think for example if someone contacted a Council and said "I moved in to so and so address 6 months ago and we got confused and thought that as the person already living here is a student we were exempt from paying Council Tax but have now found out that is not true and I would like to get it sorted" then the Council would be very unlikely to prosecute for fraud.

For benefit fraud they have to interview the person under caution first and I think it would be the same for Council Tax fraud so if they have not done that so far it's unlikely that it will go anywhere.

Yep, as Aviva says. If you have just been informed that you are liable for CT and are willing to pay the amount owed, pop into the council office with your debit card and no problem.