Council Tax Calculator
Enter your postcode to find your council, pick your band and see your 2026/27 Council Tax for the year, each month and each week. Covers every council in England, Wales and Scotland, and domestic rates in Northern Ireland.
Your home
Full-time students, student nurses, apprentices and some carers are not counted. If everyone is a full-time student, the home is exempt.
For homes with space or features needed by a disabled resident, such as a wheelchair or an extra bathroom.
Enter your postcode or choose your council to see your bill.
How Council Tax is worked out
Every home in England, Scotland and Wales is placed in a valuation band. Each year the council sets a charge for a Band D home, and every other band pays a fixed fraction of it. So two things decide your bill: your band and where you live.
For example, Band D in Leeds is £2,283.73 for 2026/27. A Band C home pays 8/9 of that, which is £2,029.98 a year, or £203.00 a month over the usual 10 instalments. If one adult lives there alone, it drops by a quarter to £1,522.49.
The Band D charge is made up of several parts. Your district or unitary council sets most of it, and county councils, police, fire and rescue, combined authorities and town or parish councils add their own share. In London, the Greater London Authority takes a share instead of a county. Your bill shows each part.
Council Tax bands and property values
Bands are based on what a home would have sold for on a fixed date, not what it is worth today. England and Scotland still use values from 1 April 1991. Wales was revalued in 2005 using values from 1 April 2003, and added a ninth band.
| Band | England (1991 value) | Wales (2003 value) | Scotland (1991 value) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to £40,000 | Up to £44,000 | Up to £27,000 |
| B | £40,001 to £52,000 | £44,001 to £65,000 | £27,001 to £35,000 |
| C | £52,001 to £68,000 | £65,001 to £91,000 | £35,001 to £45,000 |
| D | £68,001 to £88,000 | £91,001 to £123,000 | £45,001 to £58,000 |
| E | £88,001 to £120,000 | £123,001 to £162,000 | £58,001 to £80,000 |
| F | £120,001 to £160,000 | £162,001 to £223,000 | £80,001 to £106,000 |
| G | £160,001 to £320,000 | £223,001 to £324,000 | £106,001 to £212,000 |
| H | Over £320,000 | £324,001 to £424,000 | Over £212,000 |
| I | None | Over £424,000 | None |
What each band pays compared with Band D
| Band | England and Wales | Scotland | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 6/9 | 240/360 | £1,594.67 |
| B | 7/9 | 280/360 | £1,860.44 |
| C | 8/9 | 320/360 | £2,126.22 |
| D | 1 | 360/360 | £2,392.00 |
| E | 11/9 | 473/360 | £2,923.56 |
| F | 13/9 | 585/360 | £3,455.11 |
| G | 15/9 | 705/360 | £3,986.67 |
| H | 18/9 | 882/360 | £4,784.00 |
| I | 21/9 | None | Wales only |
Scotland changed its top four bands in 2017 so that larger homes pay more. A Band H home in Scotland now pays 882/360 of Band D, about 2.45 times, compared with exactly twice in England.
Who has to pay
The bill goes to the adult who lives in the home and has the strongest legal interest in it, usually the owner-occupier or the tenant. Couples living together are both responsible for paying it. If nobody lives there, the owner pays. In shared houses where tenants rent rooms separately, the landlord is normally responsible.
Discounts, exemptions and help with the bill
- Single person discount: 25% off if you are the only adult counted. If nobody counts but the home is not exempt, you get 50% off.
- Exempt homes: homes lived in only by full-time students, under-18s or people with a severe mental impairment pay nothing.
- Disabled band reduction: charged one band lower if the home has features a disabled resident needs.
- Council Tax Reduction: help for people on low incomes or benefits, run by each council with its own rules. It can cut the bill to nothing.
- Carers and care leavers: some carers are not counted, and many councils give care leavers a discount until 25.
Check your full take-home pay and what is left after bills with the take-home pay calculator, which now has a bills section that can fill in your Council Tax.
Second homes and empty homes
Councils can charge more on homes that nobody lives in. In England a premium of up to 100% can apply to second homes, and to homes empty for a year or more, with higher premiums for homes empty longer. Welsh councils can charge premiums of up to 300%, so up to four times the normal bill. Scottish councils can double the bill on second homes. Ask your council what applies, as each one sets its own policy.
How much Council Tax can go up
In England, a council that runs adult social care can raise its share by up to 2.99%, plus 2% more for social care, without holding a local referendum. District councils can raise theirs by 2.99% or £5, whichever is more. For 2026/27 the government let seven councils go above the limit to deal with financial pressures. Town and parish councils have no limit. Wales and Scotland do not use referendum limits.
Highest and lowest Council Tax in 2026/27
| Highest in England | Band D | Lowest in England | Band D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorset | £2,765 | Wandsworth | £1,028 |
| Lewes | £2,756 | Westminster | £1,050 |
| Nottingham | £2,755 | City of London | £1,330 |
| Rutland | £2,738 | Hammersmith and Fulham | £1,520 |
| Wealden | £2,728 | Kensington and Chelsea | £1,667 |
| Gateshead | £2,716 | Tower Hamlets | £1,838 |
| Bristol | £2,714 | Newham | £1,944 |
| West Devon | £2,705 | Windsor and Maidenhead | £1,953 |
London boroughs such as Westminster and Wandsworth have some of the lowest bills because they raise a lot from business rates and have high property values. In Scotland, Band D ranges from £1,468 in South Lanarkshire to £1,816 in Midlothian. Glasgow City is £1,706. The Welsh average is about £2,326.
Paying your bill
Bills are sent in March for the year starting 1 April. You can pay in full, or in 10 monthly instalments from April to January. You can ask for 12 instalments instead, which spreads the cost evenly across the year. If you miss a payment, the council can ask for the whole year’s bill at once, so contact them early if you are struggling.
Northern Ireland: domestic rates
Northern Ireland has no Council Tax. Homes pay domestic rates, based on what the home would have sold for on 1 January 2005, capped at £400,000. The bill is that capital value multiplied by the rate poundage for your council area, which combines a district rate set by the council and a regional rate set by the Executive. Choose Northern Ireland in the calculator to work yours out.
| Council area | Rate per £1, 2026/27 | Home worth £150,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Antrim and Newtownabbey | 0.009984 | £1,498 |
| Ards and North Down | 0.009994 | £1,499 |
| Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | 0.010971 | £1,646 |
| Belfast | 0.010051 | £1,508 |
| Causeway Coast and Glens | 0.010660 | £1,599 |
| Derry City and Strabane | 0.012214 | £1,832 |
| Fermanagh and Omagh | 0.010027 | £1,504 |
| Lisburn and Castlereagh | 0.009525 | £1,429 |
| Mid and East Antrim | 0.011227 | £1,684 |
| Mid Ulster | 0.009889 | £1,483 |
| Newry, Mourne and Down | 0.010558 | £1,584 |
Sources: MHCLG Council Tax levels 2026 to 2027 (Table 9), Welsh Government Council tax levels 2026-27, Scottish Government Council Tax by band 2026-27, and Department of Finance NI rate poundages 2026 to 2027.
Sources
Figures are checked against these official sources. Last reviewed 7 November 2026.
Common questions
How do I work out my Council Tax?
Find your council’s Band D charge, then multiply it by the fraction for your band. In England a Band A home pays 6/9 of Band D and a Band H home pays twice Band D. Take off 25% if you are the only adult. Enter your postcode above and the calculator does all of this for you.
What is the average Council Tax in 2026/27?
The average Band D charge is £2,392 in England, up 4.9% on 2025/26. In Wales it is about £2,283 and in Scotland about £1,653. Most homes are below Band D, so the average bill per home is lower: £1,868 in England.
How do I find my Council Tax band?
Search for your address on the GOV.UK Council Tax band checker for England and Wales, or the Scottish Assessors website for Scotland. Your band is also printed on your bill.
Who gets 25% off Council Tax?
You get a 25% single person discount if you are the only adult counted as living in your home. Some people are not counted, including full-time students, apprentices, 18 and 19-year-olds still at school or college, some carers and people with a severe mental impairment.
Who does not have to pay Council Tax?
Homes where everyone is a full-time student are exempt, as are homes lived in only by under-18s or people with a severe mental impairment. Empty homes can also be exempt in some cases, for example after the owner has died or moved into care.
Why is my bill different from the calculator?
In England and Wales the figure for your council is the average for the whole area, including town, parish or community council charges. These vary by village and town, so your own bill can be a few pounds higher or lower. Scottish bills also add water and sewerage charges.
Can I pay Council Tax over 12 months?
Yes. Councils usually collect over 10 months from April to January, but you have the right to ask to pay in 12 monthly instalments instead. It lowers each payment without changing the total.
What is the disabled band reduction?
If your home has an extra bathroom or kitchen, a room used mainly by a disabled person, or space for a wheelchair indoors, you are charged at one band lower. Band A homes get a reduction of 1/9 of the Band D charge.
Can I challenge my Council Tax band?
Yes. In England and Wales you ask the Valuation Office Agency to review it, and in Scotland the local assessor. You can challenge within six months of moving in, or if something changed the value of your home. Be aware that a review can put your band up as well as down.
How much can Council Tax go up each year?
In England, councils with social care duties can raise it by up to 4.99% a year without a local referendum, and district councils by 2.99% or £5, whichever is more. For 2026/27, seven councils were given permission to go higher. Wales and Scotland do not have referendum limits.
Do I pay Council Tax on a second home or empty home?
Usually, and often more. Councils in England can charge double on second homes and on homes empty for a year or more, rising for homes empty longer. Welsh councils can charge up to four times the normal bill, and Scottish councils can double it.
Does Northern Ireland have Council Tax?
No. Homes in Northern Ireland pay domestic rates, worked out by multiplying the home’s capital value by a rate for the council area. In Belfast in 2026/27 the rate is 0.010051 per £1 of value, so a home valued at £150,000 pays about £1,508 a year.