Part I Council Tax: England and Wales
Chapter IV Precepts
Issue of precepts
40 Issue of precepts by major precepting authorities.
(1)
For each financial year a major precepting authority shall issue a precept or precepts in accordance with this section.
(2)
A precept issued to a billing authority under this section must state—
(a)
the amount which, in relation to the year and each category of dwellings in the billing authority’s area, has been calculated (or last calculated) by the precepting authority in accordance with sections 43 to 47 below; and
(b)
the amount which has been calculated (or last calculated) by the precepting authority in accordance with section 48 below as the amount payable by the billing authority for the year.
(3)
Dwellings fall within different categories for the purposes of subsection (2) above according as different calculations have been made in relation to them in accordance with sections 43 to 47 below.
(4)
A major precepting authority shall assume for the purposes of subsection (2) above that each of the valuation bands is shown in the billing authority’s valuation list as applicable to one or more dwellings situated in its area or (as the case may be) each part of its area as respects which different calculations have been so made.
(5)
A precept under this section must be issued before 1st March in the financial year preceding that for which it is issued, but is not invalid merely because it is issued on or after that date.
(6)
No such precept may be issued to a billing authority before the earlier of the following—
(a)
the earliest date on which, for the financial year for which the precept is issued, each of the periods prescribed for the purposes of item T in section 33(1) above, item T in section 44(1) below and item TP in section 45(3) below has expired;
(b)
the earliest date on which, for that year, each billing authority has notified its calculations for the purposes of those items to the precepting authority.
(7)
No such precept may be issued unless the precepting authority has made in relation to the year the calculations required by this Chapter.
(8)
A purported issue of such a precept, if done in contravention of subsection (6) or (7) above, shall be treated as not having occurred.