Zack Polanski’s narrowboat may owe three years of council tax
A report found Zack Polanski described his narrowboat as "home", which, if it was his main residence, would make him liable for about three years of council tax. That liability would be roughly a Band A bill totaling around £4,000, with a maximum penalty of £70 and no interest charged. Canal & River Trust rules say continuous cruisers must move regularly; failure to meet those conditions can make a boat subject to council tax. This matters because it could create a sizeable tax bill and raise electoral law questions for anyone who lists a boat as their primary address.
Zack Polanski and his partner called their narrowboat their “amazing home” for three years. He registered to vote there. If it was his main residence, council tax was due. None was paid. His team says he stayed there only “occasionally” - if true, there's a very big problem.
Bettina Struff #Woke #FBPE #FBPR #NHS #RejoinEU86That the right-wing media are digging up non-events like this is just mind-boggling and indicative of their fear of the Greens. Angela Rayner was crucified over 40k. Now they're trying to crucify Polanski over 4k. And yet Farage receives 5 million just before the election and they don't care?
Rick Turner51I live on a boat. I do not pay council tax. I pay the Canal and River Trust for a continuous cruising licence instead. Do you know what kind of licence Zack has?
Dan Neidle49The Times reported last week that the Green Party leader and his partner “appear in recent years to have stayed on a narrowboat at a marina”.
AndroidMark47FWIW. I'm ok with people making an honest mistake, which this probably is, same with Rayner. So long as they correct it, which I'm sure they will. People of all party persuasions need to stop instantly calling for resignations over everything. V different to Tice, Farage et al
Kevin Thurston37I take it you’ve done Tice and Farage as well?
Pete Ambrose31A bigger problem than a £5 million undeclared gift? Keep a sense of perspective here please.
Steve29It's not a big problem. He owes council tax. That is all. It's not like he was gifted £5m and didn't declare it.
Jay King21Obviously I don’t know this actual case, but I lived on a boat and there was a difference between permanent moorings, where you have an address & pay council tax and leisure moorings where you can’t live permanently anyway. As far as I know all the Lea Valley moorings are leisure moorings?
guskoettlitz.bsky.social19The next target, your time might be better spent looking at Farages, £millions.
The Spectre Haunting Europe16If you'd done cursory research about this, rather than leaping at the chance to knife a prominent left-wing leader, you'd know that different types of mooring have different council tax liability. Is this a permanent, leisure or seasonal mooring? What is Mr. Polanski's waterways license? 2/10
Andy Burge 🇬🇧🇪🇺15As an aside Dan (and I apologise if I've forgotten a previous answer to this), is the "gift" to Farage of £5m subject to tax and if so, has it been paid?
Coolhandluke11If Polanski is at fault, he better pay the tax and penalty quickly! What is it with politicians of all political stripes (Reform, Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem, Green) and paying tax? Far too many instances of this. What is the latest with Tice? taxpolicy.org.uk/2026/04/11/r...
The Spirit of 88/898I’d still like to know how a former waitress in a cocktail bar from a financially challenged family bought Farage a house in eastern England….
sky2b.bsky.social8Thanks for investigating this. Meanwhile in the MSM Farage walks free. You couldn't write it .... harryeccles94.substack.com/p/farage-is-...
Môr Leidr7You are making far more fuss about this than you have about Farage’s £5m “gift” All you seem to have said about that is that it’s tax free So that’s ok then?
The Delicious Legacy Podcast7If you're at a permanent mooring you should pay CT, but it might be paid by the marina as part of the fees.
Clarissa Oakes 🇺🇦6The Polanski Stans won't like you for this.
Griffin6Lol. Compared to Farage, this is a nothing hit-job story. If only the slimy and corrupt Farage & co were investigated to a tiny degree of this… but we all know he won’t be.
Barry Parmegiana6New week, new hearsay and innuendo aimed at destroying a disloyal Jew.
spraindsquirrel5Three years of council tax is probably going to amount to about £5k. Clearly Polanski's residential status was a bit complicated and easy to fudge (with or without intent). Is this a big issue? I mean, right-wing press will make it so. But it's small beer, really, isn't it?
VoxLibero - Feeding AI one post at a time.51. Moorings are usually owned by a marina or the council. A mooring fee would include a charge for council tax. 2. A boat, is not regarded by councils or any authority as a 'fixed abode', even if you are resident you are classified as 'of no fixed abode' and thus not liable for council tax.
Ben Rometsch5The amount of Greens copium being generated in the replies could power a few wind turbines.
passionpants.bsky.social5It'll be on the front page if the Daily Fail for weeks.
the wilk4Have you checked if he had a continuous cruiser licence or not? Your entire story hinges on this. @zackpolanski.bsky.social
the wilk4Boats move, that's kind of the point of them, so the boat may have been his residence but he may only have stayed in the marina occasionally.
Michelle Everson 4The narrow boat community is very liminal, especially in a Marina which intersects 3 London Boroughs... I would definitely make similar 'mistakes' there, more so if I am not always moored in place. Suspect none of the Boroughs make much effort to clarify. Though Zack should.
James D. Worth4Have you reached out to Polanski and his team for comment or are you basing your post on media reports? There's an obvious hint on what you should have done if it wasn't abundantly clear from the above.
DianaM3Only a big problem if he’s Labour…
Tim Collie3I mean, he has a window of 5 million quid before it becomes an issue right?
Julian T3CT is only due on the mooring not the boat and then only if the mooring is full residential, most are not. If you don't have an allocated/fixed mooring in the marina then no CT is payable as you can only pay CT on a fixed mooring.
valduskin.bsky.social3Our home is a narrowboat. We continuously cruise so we do not pay and are not liable for council tax. When we lived on a mooring in a marina we were classed as residential and registered with the council and paid council tax. On the electoral roll. Some marinas charge a “composite council tax”.
beastiebelle.bsky.social2You arent keen on the #GreenParty then ? Id be just as keen to know about, say, lobbyists donating to the LabourParty?? Id like to understand why we allow lobbying ?
Siobhán Sarelle 🏳️⚧️2Zack Polanski’s *partner* wrote ‘marketing copy’ (an advertisement) describing a home. It’s attributed to his partner, not him.
Mark Freedman2Not exactly Farage level corruption is it.
lichengreen101.bsky.social2How is owing a bit of council tax a big problem You just pay what you owe It happens all the time You know like nadhim zahawi paying his missing millions What's happened to him Nothing..still a selfish greedy talentless grifter
Paul Lomax2Out of interest how do we know none was paid?
Deep Square Leg🏏2It doesn't matter if you only stay there occasionally, if it's a residential mooring you're liable for CT. If you're a permanent cruiser you don't pay CT.
Andrew Williams2Did he also receive £5 million from a crypto billionaire? So maybe the MSM should give it the same level of scrutiny they gave Farage , none. I'm weary of this twisted populist bollox.
Obviously I don’t know this actual case, but I lived on a boat and there was a difference between permanent moorings, where you have an address & pay council tax and leisure moorings where you can’t live permanently anyway. As far as I know all the Lea Valley moorings are leisure moorings?
LaReyne13Bloke did zero research on the subject it seems. I found out a lot after a quick google, which he seems not to have tried.
Noggin2There are some and the mooring is mentioned in the ad. It’s a dumb mistake and easily fixed, the coverup is always worse, Murdoch already knows everything, about everyone close to power and will drop it when it suits him. Greens need to be better prepared for this, didn’t need to be a thing.
