Council Tax

Your Council Tax explained

The Council Tax charged on a property is in two parts: 50% is associated with the property and 50% reflects the occupants or owners of the property.

We’ll send you a bill every March and this will show the names of the people we believe are legally responsible to pay the bill.

If more than one person is responsible for paying the bill, each person will be liable for the whole amount, not just a share of it. This is called joint and several liability.

So, if two people are responsible, and one doesn’t pay their share, the other person will be liable to pay the full amount.

What does Council Tax pay for?

The money is used to pay for many of our local services – from schools, bin collections and street repairs to libraries, parks and leisure facilities. A proportion also goes towards our local police, fire and rescue services. 

The amount you pay, or your Council Tax band, depends on the valuation of your property in April 1991. Find out more about how we fund services through Council Tax and why in our information guide below.