Council tax when studying for PhD

Former Member

From October I'll be doing a full time PhD. I will be paid a salary for this, so will it count as a job in terms of paying council tax? I just wanted to clarify, as I called my local council office and they didn't seem very sure about this. Thanks!

Former Member

From here:

Working out if you?re a full-time student for Council Tax purposes

You?ll usually be considered a full-time student for Council Tax purposes if:

* you attend a university or college course lasting for at least one academic year - as long as you attend for at least 24 weeks out of the year and study for at least 21 hours per week during term time, or
* you?re under 20 and your course leads to a qualification up to (but not above) A level standard or equivalent - as long as it lasts for more than three months and involves more than 12 hours of study per week

But not all courses count towards ?full-time student? status. For example, it doesn?t usually apply to distance learning or evening classes. Also, you won?t be considered a full-time student if you?re doing a course related to your job - such as day release.

You must also be studying at a ?prescribed place of education?. This will include established universities and most colleges. Ultimately, though, it?s up to your local council to decide - if there?s any doubt, check with them.

Still not really sure!

Former Member

Ask your uni for a letter stating you are a full time student, then slap that on the council and there should be no reason why you should pay.

Former Member

Full time PhD students don't have to pay council tax, one of the perks.

Former Member

No.

Former Member

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I had another question on this topic.

I'm currently looking at flatshares and wonder if saying I'm a student and therefore won't be paying council tax is going to put people off. If I don't pay council tax the cost for other housemates would be increased (since the total for the house is the same) and so I assume they are unlikely to go for this.

Would I be better off finding somewhere cheap and stumping up the council tax anyway, or find a house with only students (so nobody pays), or see if anyone will be kind enough to pay my part of the council tax bill?

Cheers.

Former Member

Basically, if the house is all students then no one pays council tax.

If you've got one student, one not student then the house pays 75% of the full council tax.

Unless there's only one other person in the house, then you being a student or not won't make any difference to the council tax charged to the household.

So your choices are basically share only with other student and pay no council tax, share with one other person and either persuade them they want to pay all the council tax (that one is only likely to work if it would be them on their own without you, in which case you're reducing their bill), or share with others and pay your share of the total council tax bill as you being a student makes no difference to the bill to the household bill.

In a shared house, you being a student doesn't mean you can't contribute towards council tax, it simply means that you don't count towards the occupancy for council tax purposes.

Former Member

Sorry, a bit of a tangent, but the 'is a PhD student a student?' issue must vary from place to place. Harrow specifically excludes research students from counting as students for council tax purposes, which was very boring.

On your specific question, I think Scary Monster has hit the nail on the head with your options

Former Member

Thanks for the info. After searching for a few days it seems I will indeed have to stump up the cash unless I live with only students.

Former Member

Meryn wrote: »

Harrow specifically excludes research students from counting as students for council tax purposes, which was very boring.

They can do this whilst you're writing up, but if you're studying then you're a full time student and exempt from council tax.

Former Member

Kermit wrote: »

They can do this whilst you're writing up, but if you're studying then you're a full time student and exempt from council tax.

:no: This is what the form on Harrow Council says:

"WHAT IS NOT COUNTED AS A STUDENT
The following do not fit the council tax regulations to qualify as a student:-
A PHD student
Someone who is studying either an evening course, part time course or open university course.
Job related training where the course is being taken as a consequence of the person’s employment"

It doesn't matter for me anymore, anyway, I've finished. I got my PhD certificate the other week and my student card ran out at the end of August.

Former Member

In the regulations an exempt student is someone:
- enrolled on a full time course at a 'relevant instiution'
- attending a course that lasts at least one year
- attending for at least 24 weeks a year
- studying for at least 21 hours per week (this does not have to be supervised study).

There can be complications when you're writing up, either because you're not enrolled or not technically studying 21 hours per week, but PhD students should be treated as full time students for council tax purposes.

However I understand that Harrow Council are currently being judicially reviewed about their council tax stance.

Former Member

Kermit wrote: »

However I understand that Harrow Council are currently being judicially reviewed about their council tax stance.

Well that's good news anyway When we moved into our flat I didn't question it because I thought that it may have been rules related to the fact that the study is research rather than in timetabled lessons at an institution. I didn't look into it any further because I was nearly finished and so the discount wouldn't have lasted that long - I'd have probably finished before I got any sort of resolution on the matter.