More than 23 THOUSAND people were issued with a court summons for failing to pay their council tax in Sefton last year.
One man had not paid any for almost five years – and, when called to court in October, he owed the local authority more than £5,300.
Council tax debt is not a crime but magistrates can still send people with council tax arrears to prison for up to three months.
More than 60 people were locked up in England and Wales in 2016-17.
Council tax pays for local services, such as transport, police, fire, libraries, leisure and recreation, rubbish collection and disposal, environmental health and trading standards.
Failure to pay on time could result in your local council taking recovery action against you.
Following this, you could then be summoned to court.
Can you reduce the amount you have to pay?
You can challenge your council tax band - which could mean you end up with a reduced bill.
Thousands of people triggered a cut to annual bills last year by questioning whether their council band is correct, according to official figures from the Valuation Office Agency.
In 2018/19, 31% of households who asked for their band to be checked saw bills fall as a result. This compares to 25% the year before and 20% in 2016/17.
Many people may be concerned about challenging their band as, not only could it go down, but it could also potentially go up after being reviewed.
However, according to ThisIsMoney , claimants should be encouraged by the tiny number of households that saw bills increase in the past year after being challenged.
Of the 38,350 cases resolved in 2018/19, just 30 bills - or 0.08% - saw a hike. Meanwhile, 11,910 decreased and 23,290 stayed the same.
Those who are appeal and are successful can also claim a refund of thousands of pounds – dating back to 1993.
Properties were valued quickly in 1991 and, in England, they have never been revalued since.
Will I have to go to court if I don't pay my council tax?
Sefton Council says only a minimal amount of people who receive summonses will actually be required to go to to court.
A council spokesman said: “We will always do our best to collect what is rightly owed to us and feel we offer many valuable services through the income we receive from our council tax and business rates.
“For rare cases like these to get to the court stage, the council will have attempted all other options, including reminder letters, final notices and recovery action, beforehand. We treat the courts as a very last resort.
“Everyone who is required to pay their council tax and business rate bills should do so, and anyone who is struggling should contact us directly where we can try and help.”
