Tax Cuts On Empty Homes Costing Councils Millions

The owners of nearly 100,000 empty or second homes in England are paying reduced or no council tax on their properties despite the cash crisis facing local authorities. Almost 80,000 empty houses have been enjoying council tax deductions, according to official government figures, with nearly half of the properties having no council tax applied to them at all. Owners of more than 19,000 second homes were also given money off their council tax bills. Some of the councils awarding the highest discounts are now moving to end the giveaway. It comes after ministers announced new powers for local authorities to charge double the rate of council tax on homes left empty for two years. Read more on the Observer website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/mar/31/council-tax-cuts-empty-homes-costing-millions