Guidance

Paying the right level of Council Tax: a plain English guide to Council Tax

A guide to how the Council Tax system operates in England, including an explanation of the range of exemptions and discounts available.

• From: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (2018 to 2021) and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
• Published: 26 May 2019
• Last updated: 26 April 2024 — See all updates

Applies to England

Documents

Paying the right level of Council Tax: a plain English guide to Council Tax

HTML

Paying the right level of Council Tax: a plain English guide to Council Tax in England

Ref: ISBN 978-1-4098-5450-0

PDF, 292 KB, 30 pages

Details

This guide provides advice on how your Council Tax bill is set, and how you can check that you are not paying more than you should.

Published 26 May 2019
Last updated 26 April 2024 + show all updates

1. 26 April 2024

   Added section on second homes premium to reflect the new power for councils in England to charge additional council tax on properties occupied periodically from 1 April 2025; amended the section on long-term empty properties to reflect the change to the long-term empty homes premium. From 1 April 2024, councils can charge additional council tax on homes empty for one year (rather than two years).

2. 26 May 2019

   First published.