Zack Polanski had faced a series of questions about whether the houseboat, moored in east London, was his primary residence, and now apologised over possibly failing to pay the right council tax
The Green Party has admitted leader Zack Polanski may have failed to pay the correct council tax while living on a London houseboat.
Mr Polanski has now apologised after facing a series of questions about whether the houseboat, moored in east London, was his primary residence.
Government guidance states that a person may be liable for council tax on a boat if it is their “sole or main” residence.
At first the Green Party had claimed Mr Polanski rented a room at another address where council tax was included in the rent and only stayed on the boat “occasionally”. Now a spokesperson has described the situation as an “unintentional mistake” and claimed he had “immediately taken steps” to pay any tax owed.
READ MORE: Legal rules on paying council tax if you live on a boatREAD MORE: What went wrong for Keir Starmer, and what he needs to do next
They said: “Until relatively recently, Zack was living on a houseboat, which came with its own unique practical circumstances and considerations. He has immediately taken steps to pay any council tax he may be found to owe. Zack apologises sincerely for the unintentional mistake. For security reasons, we do not comment publicly on Zack’s address. There have recently been two serious incidents which have been reported to the police and are under investigation.”
The Times last week reported seeing an advertisement for the sale of the boat in which Mr Polanski’s partner wrote: “We are moving to a house and so will sadly be leaving the gorgeous community behind.” It was also reported that Mr Polanski was registered to vote at a building near the marina, which he is also said to have used as a mailing address.
Tax lawyer Dan Neidle, founder of Tax Policy Associates, analysed Mr Polanski’s situation this week and wrote: “If the boat was in fact Mr Polanski’s ‘sole or main residence’ then he and/or his partner should have registered for, and paid, council tax for those three years.”
Tory London Assembly member Neil Garratt has now lodged a formal complaint, reporting Mr Polanski to City Hall’s standards committee. He said: “People rightly expect senior politicians to follow the rules and pay the taxes they impose on others. If Mr Polanski paid all his council tax, why is he refusing to answer direct questions about when and where he paid it?”.
Earlier this week Mr Polanski admitted using the “wrong word” after claiming he used to be a spokesman for the British Red Cross. Mr Polanski previously claimed hypnotherapy could be used to enlarge a female’s breasts. He has insisted it was the journalist’s idea and he has repeatedly apologised for it.