Poll tax shocker for Kirkintilloch dad – pay up, you owe us from two decades ago!

The taxi driver also claims that he has spoken to elderly people who have also been told they have the debt and have agreed to pay it back.

The Kirkintilloch resident said: “The council tried to say I owed poll tax from 1992 and was wanting to claim it back off me. I had called to pay council tax and apparently the system automatically searches for any debt.

“I said the debt was far to old to collect and they accepted that. I don’t understand why it took them 20 years.

“I have spoken to a few folk about it who have said they have entered into an agreement to pay it. It’s bang out of order, especially when people are struggling financially.”

The controversial poll tax, also known as the community charge, sparked fierce opposition in the early 90s and was later replaced with the council tax.

Since then councils have undergone restructuring and East Dunbartonshire Council came into being in 1996.

Ian Black, the council’s director of finance and shared services, said: “Whilst we cannot comment on any individual case, the council does take legal action for the recovery of all statutory debts.

“However, there can be circumstances where it is difficult to establish liability and this is particularly the case with historic debts such as Community Charge, which ceased in 1993.

“If new information became available officers would use this and proceed accordingly.”

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