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Shropshire owes £9m in unpaid tax
Wednesday 2nd February 2011, 12:20PM GMT.
Householders and businesses across Shropshire still owe £9 million in unpaid council tax and rates from more than a year ago, new figures show.
Tax arrears in the Shropshire Council area stand at £5.1 million.
And arrears of what are known as National Non Domestic Rate paid by businesses amount to a further £3.9 million.
But a report to the council’s audit committee next Tuesday says work is under way to recover this debt.
The report says the council revenues team collects more than £210 million each year in council tax and NNDR.
“It is important that this income is collected promptly so as to maximise the amount of interest earned on the council’s revenue balances,” says the report.
“The unitary council inherited a large amount of old debt which had not been fully investigated.
“Work is progressing on identifying that debt which can be secured and the debt which requires write-off.
“The process is extremely time intensive but recovery is being secured on much of what is outstanding.
“The team is due to be restructured in April to divert more resources to this area of work so that work can be drawn to a conclusion more quickly.”
The report says that during the year 2009/10, the team had collected 93.8 per cent of council tax and 98.8 per cent of national non domestic rates (NNDR) by Janunary 25, 2010.
The final collection in March stood at 97.1 per cent and 96 per cent respectively. Over this past financial year, up until January 24, the team had collected 94.9 per cent of council tax and 98.5 per cent of NNDR.
“These collection rates compare well to those of the previous council whose collection rates we aspire to,” says the report.
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It makes me wonder why I bother to pay mine.
In the interest of balance, how is this being addressed by the council?
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They will address it in the only way they know how.
Several meetings,(more expense claims), then they will send out letters asking people to pay.
Same procedure in another 12 months.
Toothless tigers.
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maybe the council tax backlog wouldnt be so high if they did’nt instantly cancel peoples council tax payment plans & calling in the private bailifs that charge £100+ per visit to your door without leaving any paper proof they’ve even knocked on it.
within 2 months of wrekin council cancelling my ctax payment plan back in 2007 i was throw into £1200+ total debt & only £140 of that was actual council tax,the rest was added by private hire bailif costs.
no wonder people don’t/can’t pay bills when companies think that cause someone cant pay a bill they would magicaly be able to pay 4x the cost with extra charges added on.
it’s like being legally & openly mugged by they justice system.
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I agree with ken’s sentiments, although I also feel that bailiffs form part of a necessarily robust response where payment has been withheld for an undue amount of time.
It makes one wonder what council financial departments actually do.
Payments collection is largely automated through direct debit and card payment, so for those that slip through the net, they should have the capability to operate some sort of credit control operation.
Far too many council managers offload THEIR jobs onto outside agencies which can cause problems for their clients but makes life easier for the manager concerned.
Bailiffs have their place, but I’d like to regulation to control the time that passes from the last payment before they can be set loose and in an ideal World, it would be nice to think that their charges were also regulated (maybe less for first visit, then increasing for subsequent visits to stubborn refuseniks) and that any failed visits were announced by a notice through the letter box, rather than relying on their memories when it comes to billing.
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I think that most councils are a bit too quick call in the bailifs, afterall some people my find themselve in a position where it is food on the table or fuel in the car to get to work, especialy when one of the houshold looses their job. Not all people that own property are well off and they may not get some of the benifits that people in rented accomodation get, so I think the councils could do better by inviting debtors in and finding ways to help them pay, rather than giving them more debt and worries with baliffs.
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I wouldn’t believe a word the Council say in relation to these figures.
They have just chased me for a years Council Tax from 2008 which I have got proof was paid to Bridgnorth District Council.
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