One in five Pembrokeshire residents use legal loopholes to shave thousands from hefty bills.
More than 800 second home owners in Pembrokeshire have sidestepped Britain’s harshest council tax premium.
One in five have been permitted exemptions to the county council’s 150pc penalty, with scores of owners thought to be exploiting legal loopholes in the policy……
Carol Peett, a buying agent at West Wales Property Finders http://www.westwalespropertyfinders.co.uk believes people listing homes with no desire to sell is commonplace across the county.
She said: “There’s no question they are doing it. People are finding ways to get out of paying the tax. They are being forced into ways of avoiding it, as it’s crippling for the lower-end properties.”…
…Pembrokeshire’s premium was introduced in 2017 at 50pc, before rising to 100pc in 2022, and then 200pc in 2024.
Councillors agreed to reduce the rate to 150pc in April after conceding that they went too far – yet the premium is still the joint highest in Britain, along with Gwynedd and Denbighshire.
The Daily Telegraph – Wednesday, 20th August 2025 – https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/property/second-homes/second-home-hotspot-dodging-council-tax-raid/
