This is a shock, honestly! I would normally pay by bank transfer for whole year up front.
But OK... Except.
Err, OK, so do I have to turn up each month with cash which they cannot accept?
To be fair, if that saved me over £3k a year in council tax, I'd do it. I'd video record each attempt to pay, obviously, for a judge if they tried to take me to court.
Apparently "Cash is the default payment method that the council tax system uses for payments other than direct debit. This does not mean that the payment has to be made in cash."
As they seem confused, I have asked...
Out of interest why do you pay the entire sum for council tax in one go per year? Do they give some sort of discount?
ReplyDeleteNo, I just like to get things sorted and out of the way.
DeleteJust turn the page over, rotate it clockwise, and read the full PAYMENT OF COUNCIL TAX entry. A full year payment by the first instalment due date is possible by debit or credit card, or bank transfer, arranged over phone or via the council website - simples!
ReplyDeleteI guess I would just have specified the code to write 'Instalments to be paid monthly' to avoid semantic arguments over whether cash has to be 'hard' coins and/or notes or something more ethereal...
I see all that but it says I have to pay by cash on the front.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what happens if you get "de-banked", then you try to pay your council tax bill using cash, which they won't accept. Are you then guilty of "tax evasion" even though you've offered them full payment, and you don't have any power to force a third-party company to provide you with banking services?
ReplyDeleteThey are a Council - why do you think they will even understand the question?
ReplyDeleteDo they have the legal power to refuse to accept cash? There is no legal requirement for a Council Tax payer to have a bank account, debit/credit card or any other means of electronic payment? Or is the Welsh govt. daft enough to have enacted somesuch nonsense requiring every householder to have a bank account or else he be breaking the law ?
ReplyDeleteIndeed, good question, this is not like a shop or a contract where seller can stipulated payment method.
DeleteSlightly Tongue-in-Cheek: Maybe Council Tax should move to some sort of wholesale/network/retailer system as electricity and gas retailers have done. If I live in London Borough of Wandsworth I can choose to buy my Council services from Liverpool Council and pay Liverpool because I prefer their contract prices and payment terms, including their offer to accept cash. Or if I live in Liverpool I can choose to buy my Council services from Aberystwyth Council because Aberystwyth's customer service is to my liking and I prefer the colour of their wheely bins. I am joking - partly. These Councils have a monopoly to do whatever they like and charge whatever they like. There does need to be something to challenge their poor service and poor behavior - and maybe competition is the answer?
DeleteMine also says Cash Monthly. I usually pay the whole amount upfront in cash at the post office, but have also paid it upfront by cheque in the past and no one has complained about the 'irregularity'.
ReplyDeleteI don't think my council accept cash payments at the council offices anymore, but that is somewhat moot as they do accept them via the Post Office. Do your council allow payments at the Post Office?