A bereaved man says he has been hit with a “death tax” after inheriting his mother’s home.
Phil Bond, 68, lost his mother, Eunice, 91, in May and inherited her house in Cardiff, alongside his brother.
Soon after her death, they received a council tax bill that included a charge for “premium furnished and no-one resident”, doubling the annual amount owed to more than £4,000.
In Wales, local authorities can charge a council tax premium of up to 300% on furnished second homes that his mother’s property had been reassigned as.
Cardiff Council said no council tax exemption was applied automatically following a resident’s death, but circumstances could be considered on request.
In Cardiff a 100% premium applies to furnished properties that are not anyone’s sole or main residence.
The premium is intended to encourage bringing empty homes back into use, helping to increase the availability of housing and support sustainable communities.
But Bond, from Llandaff North, said this premium felt like both a “penalty” and a “death tax”.
He added: “What I find amazing is the way it’s set up, as if the council expects you to empty the house straightaway and then worry about the funeral after.”
