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AN urgent warning has been issued over "unexpected council tax charges" in the coming weeks as an exemption comes to an end.

Tax expert Andy Wood has warned students that they could be landed with an surprise council tax bill as soon as their studies end.

Students need to check their bills soon
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Students need to check their bills soonCredit: Alamy

The tax lawyer said that if students stay in their digs after graduating, they risk being landed with a council tax bill.

Speaking to the Mirror, he said: "Final-year students need to be aware that council tax exemption ends immediately after their course concludes, typically around early June.

"This can catch many off guard if their accommodation lease extends
beyond this period."

He warned that a council tax bill would have a significant impact on a student's finances.

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Mr Wood advised students to get in touch with their local authority about how the rules might affect them.

He said the key area concerned the transition from exemption to liability.

Martin Lewis urges everyone to do two checks to help you claim thousands

He added: "Providing evidence of non-residency, such as vacating the property or proving student status elsewhere, may help students claim exemptions at the council's discretion and prevent
debt and other potential consequences."

Students are just one group who may be eligible for a council tax discount.

Can you get a council tax bill reduction?

There are several ways you can get discounts and reductions on your council tax bill.

In some cases, you can even get the bill completely wiped with a council tax reduction.

Factors such as your household income, whether you have children, and if you receive any benefits, will influence what you get.

To apply, visit https://www.gov.uk/apply-council-tax-reduction.

You'll need your National Insurance number, bank statements, a recent payslip or letter from the Jobcentre, and a passport or driving licence when filling out the details.

Below, we reveal all the ways you can get discounts or a reduction on your bill:

Single person discount

If you live on your own, you can get 25% off your council tax bill.

This also applies if there is one adult and one student living together in a property, or if there is one adult and one person classed as severely mentally impaired in the home.

If you live with someone who doesn't have to pay council tax, such as a carer or someone who is severely mentally impaired, you could get a larger reduction too, of up to 50%.

And, if you live in an all-student household, you could get a 100% discount.

Retirees

Pensioners may also find themselves eligible for a council tax reduction.

If you receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, you could get a 100% discount.

If not, you could still get help if you have a low income and less than £16,000 in savings.

How to check your council tax bill and whether it's gone up

MANY local authorities hiked council tax bills in April - here's how to check if you're now paying more.

You'll first need to find out what council tax band your home is in to work out how much you have to pay.

This can be done on Gov.uk for homes in England an Wales, or on the Scottish Assessors website if you live in Scotland.

You'll need to enter in your postcode and scroll through the listed addresses to find yours.

Local councils must contact you directly to let you know if your bill is going up or down, for example, via a letter or email.

If you still haven't heard from your council, you should contact them directly.

The contact details of your local council can be found on the Gov.uk postcode checker.

And a pensioner who lives alone will be entitled to a 25% discount too.

Low-income households

If you are on a low income or receiving benefits, you could be eligible for a reduction on your council tax.

Whether you are eligible will vary depending on where you live.

You could also get a deferral if you're struggling to pay your bill, or you can speak to your council about setting up a payment plan to manage the cost.

But one thing to remember is if you are struggling you should contact your council as early as you can.

Meanwhile Martin Lewis  is encouraging households to “check and challenge” their council tax band. 

He told viewers on Good Morning Britain that just shy of a half a million households are thought to be in the wrong council tax band. 

“400,000 are likely in the wrong band. So people are simply paying the wrong amount and they [the government] make it far too difficult to challenge that,” said Mr Lewis. 

He added that if you successfully prove you have been overcharged for the tax, you can get the money back.

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Plus, if you have been overpaying for a number of years - or even decades - the council will be required to pay you a backdated payment, so you could be entitled to thousands. 

“Many [successful applicants] have had thousands [of pounds] reinstated,” the expert shared. 

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