Second home owners set for whopping £10,000 tax bill
Local councils could levy bills of more than £10,000 on the owners of second properties, new analysis by a national newspaper claims.
The owners of second homes in some areas will be faced with council tax bills of £10,000 or more, new analysis by a national newspaper has claimed.
Local councils will be able to charge double council tax rates on second homes from April next year, where a property is left empty for more than a year.
Around 2,000 second homeowners with properties in holiday hotspots face paying £10,000 or more, when council tax on both their properties is totalled, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Caught up
Up to now, 146 local authorities have confirmed they intend to levy the extra council tax, with Cornwall set to earn the most at nearly £30 million.
North Yorkshire and Kensington and Chelsea in London are going to receive close to £20 million, the paper says. Nearly 400 households in Dorset are expected to face bills in excess of £10K.
There are fears that some people such as bereaved families, home movers and landlords trying to sell former buy-to-lets could get caught up in the second home charge.
Councils need all options possible to ensure a supply of homes for rent and sale that meets local needs.”
A spokesman for the Local Government Association, which represents councils, told the Telegraph: “There is a desperate need for more affordable housing across the country and councils need all options possible to ensure a supply of homes for rent and sale that meets local needs.
“Charging a council tax premium for long-term empty and second homes is one way of encouraging owners to bring these properties back into permanent use.”
