Melbourn family taxed for housing Ukrainian refugees in garage

Under the scheme, council tax should be paid by the hosts or refugees for “self-contained accommodation”.

Mr Kulina said his garage and the space above it had never previously been classed as “self-contained”. It was, he said, part of his home and there had never been any mention of a separate tax.

A letter addressed to “The Annex” was received and contained a council tax bill for more than £3,000, backdated to November 2022 when the Ukrainian family had arrived.

“That address doesn’t exist,” said Mr Kulina. “It is a garage with a loft conversion that was here when we bought the house in 2007.”

Two letters from the VOA followed to notify “The Annex” that the property was in band A and the main house had been moved from band F to G.

The council said it had a duty to inform the agency when it became aware of a self-contained annexe not banded for council tax.

It said the decision to tax it was taken by the VOA.