Council Tax

Each dwelling is allocated to one of eight valuation bands, A-H by the Valuation Officer, and every year the council sets the tax for dwellings in band D. The tax for the other bands is calculated as a fraction of this figure.

Register/log in to the Council Tax portal

Your Council Tax Bill

Each year the Council sends out a bill, known as a 'demand note' to everyone who is liable for Council Tax. This will include details of:

• Valuation Bands
• the amount of tax calculated for that band
• any discounts, reductions or council tax support
• any credit, arrears, overpaid benefit, or amount for an earlier year
• the amount, payment date and payment methods for monthly instalments.

If you own more than one property, you may receive a demand note for each of them. We are obliged to publish details about

• your Parish budget
• the Council's budget
• the County budget
• the Police Authority budget
• the Fire and Rescue Authority budget
• an explanation of how the Council Tax charges have been calculated.

Please refer to the council tax guide below:

Your Council Tax services and Council Tax guide [4.0MB]
Council Tax explanatory notes 2019/20 [1.23MB]

If you wish to see a statement of your account on-line please register for an online account.

Register/log in to the Council Tax portal

If you are having any difficulty paying your council tax please telephone 0300 303 8588 or visit our council access points.

Reminders and Final Notices

If your account falls into arrears, a reminder notice will be sent. This will allow you seven days to make up any shortfall.  If we have not received payment after fourteen days then the total unpaid balance for the year will become due.  If you are not entitled to monthly instalments, or the final instalment date has passed, we will issue a final notice - but at this stage you can still pay the outstanding amount.  If, after this, we still fail to receive payment we may take the matter to court. If the court rules in our favour we will then take action to recover the debt. Recovery Procedure up to Liability Order [93.11KB] , Recovery Procedure after Liability Order [175.29KB]

Overpayments

If your circumstances change during the year (e.g. if you move or suffer a disabling injury), you may pay more than you should have done. In cases like this it is important to tell us what has happened. Please register for an on-line account here. and complete the appropriate form. We will then review your payments, make any necessary alterations, and refund any money that has been overpaid.

Council Tax Liability

Council tax can only be charged on what is known as a 'chargeable dwelling'

This is a property, or part of a property, that is:

• used only as a private dwelling (or dwellings), and
• not shown in, or exempt from being shown in, a non-domestic valuation list

Normally the owner is liable for Council Tax on:

1. Residential Care Homes, Nursing Homes, Mental Nursing Homes and Hostels
2. Dwellings inhabited by religious communities
3. Houses in multiple occupation
4. Dwellings occupied by resident staff
5. Dwellings inhabited by ministers of religion

Otherwise liability will fall on the person who comes first on the following list:

• a resident of the dwelling with a freehold interest in all or part of the dwelling
• a resident with the largest leasehold interest in all or part of the dwelling
• a resident who is a statutory or secure tenant in all or part of the dwelling
• a resident with a contractual license to occupy all or part of the dwelling
• a resident
• the owner

If this covers more than one person, then they will be jointly and severally liable for paying Council Tax. To help identify the liable person the Council has a number of rights and powers to obtain the necessary information.

There is a recently updated  guidance booklet for those appealing against a council tax liability decision. 

Guidance booklets

Valuation Tribunal