Armed Forces Serving In Iraq and Afghanistan To Get Council Tax Rebate

It has been reported that Armed forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are to get a council tax rebate under UK government plans.

Each soldier is said to get £140 off their council tax when they are on a six-month tour of duty and pay the tax on a UK property.

It comes after criticism from the head of the Army over soldiers’ treatment. The Ministry of Defence will pay for the tax relief out of its own budget.

It is said that around 13,000 soldiers will benefit from the tax rebate, which amounts to 25% of the average council tax bill.

The soldiers will receive the rebate via their tax-free Operational Allowance paid at the end of an operational tour, with the first payments to be made from 1 April, 2008.

Defence Secretary Des Browne said: “It underlines the government’s commitment to support our armed forces and their families. We intend to extend this payment to all those deployed overseas on operations next year.”

What do you think of this do you think that £140 off their council tax is enough to risk their lives when they are on tour?

Get the latest news in our RSS Feed, Newsletter or follow us on Twitter.