Council Tax is your contribution to the many services the council provides such as:
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education;
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libraries;
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street lighting;
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collecting rubbish;
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meals in the home;
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the police and fire service.
It also contributes to the running of the Tyne and Wear Metro System.
Gateshead Council provides over 100 services. They are all paid for through Council Tax and Government funding.
For further detail on Gateshead Council's spending on services see the 2007/2008 Council Tax Information Leaflet on the right.
Who has to pay?
Every home in Gateshead has to pay Council Tax. There is one bill for each home which is calculated on a daily basis. You are not responsible for another person's bill if you move home in the middle of a financial year.
The Council Tax bill will be sent to the person who appears first on this list:
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Resident Freeholder;
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Resident Leaseholder;
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Resident Tenant;
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Resident Licence Holder;
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Resident;
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Owner.
For example - if you own the property and live there it will be your name on the bill.
More than one person may have to pay the bill, for example joint owners or joint tenants. Husbands and wives and couples living as man and wife are jointly responsible (as of 1st April 2006 Civil Partnership couples will be jointly liable). Special rules about joint accounts apply when someone suffers from a severe mental impairment or where a full time student lives with someone who is not a student.
There are also times when the owner will have to pay rather than the resident. In certain circumstances, the owner of the property will always be liable to pay the bill even if somebody is living there. Please contact us for details as to when these will apply.
You cannot be liable for Council Tax if you are under 18 years of age. More information about exemptions and discounts that apply|.