The City of Edinburgh Council seem to be determined to make paying the Council Tax more awkward for us (the client) and more convenient for them (the public servants, who supposedly answer to us).
It used to be that you could pay by Standing Order (leaving you in absolute control over the payments) but it seems that they no longer accept this, preferring instead to dip into your bank account via Direct Debit (and given the number of times various Councils have messed up my Council Tax billing over the years, this is not something that I am keen to let them do (although - tempting fate - I am pleasantly surprised that they have not messed up the billing this year (yet?)).
However, they do still accept payment by bank account transfer (although obviously they don't shout about it very much). This is less convenient as you have to remember to actively make each payment (and in the case of my internet bank, re-authenticate for such transactions), as opposed to the passive process of a standing order, which happens automatically once set up.
Although the Council claim not to accept Standing Order payments any more, do they really have any means of enforcing this or of telling the difference in terms of the money entering their bank account? Is it actually possible for a bank account to accept deposits via BACS/FP but not by SO?
Is anybody still paying their CEC Council Tax by Standing Order successfully?
David.