MovePlanCouncil tax when you move house
Two councils, two separate jobs, and a common trap where you end up paying both at once. Here's how it actually works.
Council tax is the piece of moving admin that most reliably goes wrong, for one structural reason: there is no national system. Each local authority runs its own, they don't talk to each other, and neither of them finds out you've moved unless you tell them.
So it is always two jobs, never one. Close the old account. Open the new one. Missing either has a cost.
What happens if you only do one
| What you skipped | What happens |
|---|---|
| Didn't close the old account | Billing continues at the old address. The direct debit keeps collecting, and reclaiming it means proving when you left — which is much easier with a completion date and a final meter reading than without. |
| Didn't open the new account | You still owe it from the day you moved in. It arrives later as a lump sum covering the whole period, often alongside a demand for the balance of the year in fewer instalments. |
| Did neither | Both of the above at once, and the money you're owed at one council doesn't offset what you owe the other. They are unrelated organisations. |
The overlap nobody warns you about
If you complete on the new property before you've moved out of the old one — even by a few days — you can be liable for council tax on both at the same time. Liability generally follows the right to occupy, not whether your furniture is there.
Some councils offer a discount or exemption on an empty, unfurnished property, but the terms vary enormously between authorities and some have removed it entirely. It is worth one phone call to the relevant council if your dates overlap by more than a few days, because the answer genuinely differs depending on where you are.
What each council will ask you for
- Your full name, and the names of everyone else who'll be liable
- The address you're leaving and the address you're moving to
- The exact date you moved, or will move
- Whether you owned or rented, and the landlord's details if renting
- Your final meter readings, sometimes — worth having anyway
- Bank details, if you want to pay the new account by direct debit
Cancel the old direct debit only after the closing bill is settled. Cancelling it the day you move is a common instinct and it usually creates a missed-payment letter rather than saving anything.
Getting a refund from the old council
- 1
Tell them the date you left
They recalculate the year to that date. If you paid by monthly direct debit you'll frequently be in credit, because instalments are usually spread over ten months rather than twelve.
- 2
Give them somewhere to send it
Refunds go back to the paying account by default, but if you've closed it you need to say so — otherwise the refund bounces and sits unclaimed.
- 3
Chase it if it's quiet
Refunds are not automatic in every authority, and an unclaimed credit can sit on a closed account indefinitely. If you haven't heard within about a month, ask.
Discounts worth checking at the new address
- Single person discount — 25% off if you're the only adult resident. It does not carry over from your old address; you have to claim it again.
- Students — a household entirely of full-time students is generally exempt, but it must be claimed with evidence.
- Severe mental impairment and certain carer situations — these can lead to a discount or full disregard, and are widely under-claimed.
- Empty and unfurnished property — varies by authority, and increasingly restricted or removed.
Check the band while you're there, too. Bands were set in 1991 and errors exist. Challenging one can go up as well as down, so read the official guidance on how a challenge works before starting one.
When to do it
Council tax timing
- 4 weeks beforeTell the old council your moving-out date so the closing bill can be prepared
- 4 weeks beforeRegister with the new council, or find their move-in form
- Moving dayTake and photograph meter readings at both properties
- Week afterConfirm the closing bill, then cancel the old direct debit
- Month afterChase any refund that hasn't arrived
MovePlan puts this into a dated plan alongside everything else in the move, so the council tax steps land in the right week rather than competing with packing for your attention. It also drafts the letters for the other address changes — bank, insurer, DVLA, TV Licensing, GP and electoral roll — filled in with your own details.
See the full plan
The complete dated checklist and real sample letters, before you spend anything.
See a sample plan