During the Facebook discussions about the looming increases in council tax, there was a query about whether there is an option to pay over 12 months rather than the standard 10 months. I followed this up with Aberdeenshire Council’s revenues manager Gail Smith. Here is what she has to say:
“The standard repayment period as per legislation remains at 10 months but we will offer different repayment plans including 12 months dependent on the circumstances of the customer.
“If a customer is having difficulty in paying over the 10 months they need to contact the council tax team to discuss other options and we will ensure a suitable repayment plan will be agreed on based on the customers current financial position.
“This does not mean these payment terms will continue indefinitely for future years and would be reviewed on an annual basis or when the customer advises their circumstances have changed.”
That confirms what I thought – and what I posted on Facebook at the time. So, if you are in a bit of financial difficulty the council will do what it can to help. But otherwise it is 10 payments (or one annual payment) for everyone.