Apply for Council Tax: exemption for other circumstances

Special circumstances in your profession or status may mean you are exempt from paying Council Tax. Please read the notes on eligibility and proof below to see if any of them apply to you.

Eligibility

Select the appropriate circumstances or profession below to find out if this applies to you, and to see any proof you will need to apply for a Council Tax exemption.

Family or dependant of a foreign student

This applies if you are a non-UK citizen who is a partner, spouse, child or other dependant of a full-time foreign student, and are not allowed to work or claim benefits in the UK (Class N). You will need a copy of the photo page of your passport and your UK visa to apply for your Council Tax exemption.

A foreign language assistant

This applies if you work at one or more UK schools, teaching foreign language classes, and are not a British citizen (Class N). You will need all of the following to apply for your Council Tax exemption:

• a copy of the photo page of your passport
• a copy of your UK visa
• a letter from your place of work, confirming your employment

International headquarters or defence organisation staff, family or dependant

This applies if you are not a British citizen, and work as military staff or a defence organisation member, or are the partner, spouse, child or other dependant of someone who does (Class O). You will need a letter from your senior officer to apply for your Council Tax exemption.

Visiting forces, family or dependant

This applies if you are not a British citizen, and you work as military staff or are the partner, spouse, child or other dependant of someone who does (Class P). You will need a letter from your senior officer to apply for your Council Tax exemption.

A person with diplomatic immunity and privileges

A diplomatic exemption (Class V) applies if all of the following conditions apply:

• you have diplomatic privileges or immunity
• you are not a British citizen
• you are not a British subject
• you are not a British protected person
• the UK is not your main residence
• you have no other UK property which is your main residence

You will need a letter from your consulate confirming your status to apply for your Council Tax exemption.

A member of a religious community

This applies if you are aged 18 or over, have no income or capital of your own and are dependent on a religious community for support. We will ignore any pension from a former job. Your religious community must be mainly involved in prayer, contemplation, the relief of suffering, education or any combination of these. You will need a letter from the head of your community, confirming your status, to apply for your Council Tax exemption.

Before you apply

To apply for a Council Tax exemption, you will need:

• to register for Council Tax in the Bath and North East Somerset area
• to have your Council Tax account number. This is a seven or nine digit number, and you can find it in the top left hand corner of your Council Tax bill. If you are unsure, please view this example bill.
• evidence that you are eligible for the exemption. (Please check the notes above for details of the documents you need.)
• evidence of your nationality if you are not a British citizen

Next steps

When we have verified your details, we will issue a new Council Tax bill. You should receive this within 28 days.

Your responsibilities

• After you have applied for your exemption, you must still pay the instalments on any Council Tax bill we have sent, until we issue a new bill.
• If you disagree with the amount of Council Tax we ask you to pay after we have processed the exemption, you can use our online form to contact us.
• We will check every year that you can still claim the exemption. You may receive a letter, asking you to confirm this. You must respond promptly to any letters you receive. We may cancel the exemption if you do not reply when we contact you.
• You must inform us immediately if your circumstances change (for example, you move house, or you gain British nationality).

Cancelling or changing your Council Tax exemption

If the circumstances change, you may no longer be able to get the exemption. You must tell us immediately about any change. If you do not inform us, this might increase your bill.

If your circumstances change in other ways, a different Council Tax discount or exemption may apply. Find out about other discounts and benefits and additional support by following the links in the panel: More on Council Tax, and Other benefits and services.