Learn more about Council Tax

Council Tax is a locally set tax that is payable on your home. The amount of Council Tax you pay will depend on the band your property is in, the number of adults in your dwelling and whether any discounts or exemptions apply because of the circumstances of the people living in the property or because of the status of the property. Council Tax helps to meet the cost of the services the Council provides, as well as contributing towards the cost of fire brigade and police services.

What is Council Tax?

For an overview of Council Tax, how it is calculates, discounts and more, the 'Plain English Guide to Council Tax' will help.

A Plain English Guide to Council Tax
Download (470KB - PDF)

View the Council Tax annual billing leaflet

Each year the Council is required to provide you with information about your Council Tax. This information can be found in the leaflet below.

Council Tax annual billing leaflet 2024-25
Download (921KB - PDF)
Council Tax annual billing leaflet 2023-24
Download (1.06MB - PDF)

How your Council Tax charge is calculated

You can find out more about how your Council Tax is calculated by checking the band of your property.

What to do if you think your Council Tax band is wrong

If you think your Council Tax band is wrong, you should contact the Valuation Office Agency (VOA). Appeals against Council Tax bands are not handled by the Council. 

Find out about Completion Notices for newly built (and altered) properties

To find out what a completion notice is, their purpose, and when they are issued. 

Find out about the discounts, exemptions and premiums

There are a range of discounts and exemptions available to Council Tax payers. There are also premiums which can apply to some properties e.g. long term empty properties.

What to do if you think your Council Tax charge is wrong

If you think that your Council Tax bill is wrong, for example you have been refused a discount or exemption, or you do not think you are liable for Council Tax on a property, you do have a right of appeal to the Council.

If you believe your Council Tax band is wrong, your right of appeal is directly with the Valuation Office Agency (VOA). 

What to do if your your property is let as self catering accommodation and should be subject to Business Rates

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has introduced a new questionnaire for self-catering properties, making it easier for individuals and taxpayers with self-catering properties to tell them that they met the criteria to be assessed for Business Rates instead of Council Tax. Customers can now use our self-catering questionnaire to provide their information directly to the VOA. 

This questionnaire should be used by taxpayers whose self-catering property is:

  • currently valued as domestic and liable for Council Tax, but now meets the criteria to be valued for business rates, or
  • new and has met the criteria for the first time in the previous 12 months.

The full criteria for this can be found on the VOA website.

What to do if you think your property should not be in the Council Tax list

Customers seeking to have their property deleted from the Council Tax list can access a Council Tax proposal form on the VOA website.

This form should only be used by customers if their property is:

  • derelict
  • undergoing major renovation
  • demolished

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Last updated: 22 August 2024 16:18:27

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