188体育

You鈥檒l need to know 3 things:

• the valuation band for your home in England and Wales or
• how much your charges for that band
• whether you can get a discount or exemption from the full bill

You may be able to get Council Tax Reduction (this used to be called Council Tax Benefit) if you鈥檙e on a low income or get benefits.

Changes that may affect your Council Tax band

Your property may be put in a different band in some circumstances, for example if:

• you demolish part of your property and do not rebuild it
• you alter your property to create 2 or more self-contained units, for example an annexe - each unit will have its own band
• you split a single property into self-contained flats
• you convert flats into a single property
• you start or stop working from home
• the previous owner made changes to your property
• there are significant changes to your local area, like a new road being built
• a similar property in your area has its Council Tax band changed

Ask the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) if you want to know if changes to your property will affect your Council Tax band.

You鈥檒l usually have to pay Council Tax if you鈥檙e 18 or over.

A full Council Tax bill is based on at least 2 adults living in a home. Spouses and partners who live together are jointly responsible for paying the bill.

Who is not counted (鈥榙isregarded鈥�)

Some people are not counted (鈥榙isregarded鈥�) when working out how many people live in a property. This means you might be able to apply for a discount on your Council Tax bill if you get one.

You鈥檙e disregarded if you鈥檙e:

• under 18 years old
• on certain apprentice schemes
• 18 or 19 years old and in full-time education
• a full-time student at college or university
• under 25 years old and get funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency
• a student nurse
• a foreign language assistant registered with the British Council
• severely mentally impaired
• a live-in carer for someone who is not your partner, spouse, or child under 18
• a diplomat

Apply for a discount or exemption

You need to apply for a Council Tax discount or an exemption, even if you鈥檙e disregarded.

You鈥檒l get 50% off your bill if everyone living in your household is disregarded.

You鈥檒l get 25% off your bill if you pay Council Tax and either:

• you live on your own
• everyone else in your home is disregarded

Contact your local council if you鈥檙e unsure about whether you can get a discount or who鈥檚 responsible for paying.

People on apprentice schemes

To show that you do not qualify as an adult for Council Tax, you鈥檒l need a declaration from your employer stating that:

• you will not be paid more than 拢195 a week
• the training leads to a qualification accredited by a body recognised by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) or the Scottish Vocational Education Council (SVEC)

If you get a Council Tax discount by mistake

You must contact your local council. If you do not, you could get a fine.

The council may ask you to pay back the discount.

Households where everyone鈥檚 a full-time student do not have to pay Council Tax. If you do get a bill, you can apply for an exemption.

To count as a full-time student, your course must:

• last at least 1 year
• involve at least 21 hours study per week

If you study for a qualification up to A level and you鈥檙e under 20, your course must:

• last at least 3 months
• involve at least 12 hours study per week

You鈥檒l get a Council Tax bill if there鈥檚 someone in your household who鈥檚 not a full-time student, but your household might still qualify for a discount.

You might be able to apply for a Council Tax discount or exemption if you or someone you live with is disabled.

Disabled Band Reduction Scheme

You may be eligible for the scheme if you live in a larger property than you would need if you or another occupant were not disabled.

If you qualify, your bill will be reduced to the next lowest Council Tax band. For example, if your property is in Band D, you鈥檒l pay the Band C rate. If your home is already in the lowest band (Band A), you鈥檒l get a 17% discount on your Council Tax bill instead.

You鈥檒l have to show that you have either:

• an extra bathroom, kitchen or other room that you need for the disabled person
• extra space inside the property for using a wheelchair

The property must be the main home of at least 1 disabled person. This can be an adult or a child - it does not have to be the person responsible for paying the Council Tax.

How to apply

Check if you qualify for the Disabled Band Reduction Scheme.

Discounts for severely mentally impaired people

You might be able to apply for a discount on your Council Tax bill if you or someone you live with is severely mentally impaired.

You鈥檒l need to:

• get a certificate to say you鈥檙e severely mentally impaired from a medical professional, such as your GP
• prove your eligibility for certain benefits - check with your local council

If you qualify as severely mentally impaired

You鈥檒l get a 100% discount if you qualify as severely mentally impaired and one of the following applies:

• you live on your own
• any other adults in your household either qualify as severely mentally impaired or are full-time students

There鈥檒l be a 50% discount on the council tax bill if everyone else in your household is 鈥榙isregarded鈥�.

If you live with someone who is severely mentally impaired

You鈥檒l get a 25% discount if you live with someone who qualifies as severely mentally impaired and either:

• there are no other adults in your household
• everyone else in your home is disregarded

How to apply

Check if you qualify for a Council Tax discount.

Second homes

You鈥檒l usually have to pay Council Tax on another property you own or rent, such as a holiday home. These properties are furnished and do not have anyone living in them as their main home. They are also known as 鈥榮econd homes鈥�.

Your council can decide to give you a discount - it鈥檚 up to them how much you get. Contact your council to ask about a discount.

From 1 April 2025, you can be charged up to 2 times your normal Council Tax. Your council will decide whether the property is a 鈥榮econd home鈥� and whether to charge this additional tax.

Empty properties

You鈥檒l usually have to pay Council Tax on an empty home, but your council can decide to give you a discount - the amount is up to them. Contact your council to ask about a discount.

If your home has been empty for at least 1 year

You can be charged additional Council Tax (a 鈥榩remium鈥�) if your home has been empty for at least 1 year.

How much you pay will depend on how long the property has been empty. You can be charged up to 4 times your normal Council Tax bill if your home has been empty for at least 10 years.

You will not have to pay the empty home premium if either:

• the empty property is an annex
• you鈥檙e in the armed forces and you have to move into armed forces accommodation as part of your work

When you do not pay Council Tax

If you鈥檙e selling a property on behalf of an owner who鈥檚 died, you do not need to pay Council Tax until after you get probate as long as the property remains empty. After probate is granted, you may be able to get a Council Tax exemption for another 6 months if the property is both:

• unoccupied
• still owned and in the name of the person who died

Some homes do not get a Council Tax bill for as long as they stay empty. They include homes:

• of someone in prison (except for not paying a fine or Council Tax)
• of someone who鈥檚 moved into a care home or hospital
• that have been repossessed
• that cannot be lived in by law, for example if they鈥檙e derelict
• that are empty because they鈥檝e been compulsory purchased and will be demolished

If you鈥檙e renovating your property

If you鈥檙e making major home improvements to your property and cannot live in it, you can ask to have it removed (deleted) from the Council Tax list. This means you will not pay Council Tax on it. Find out more in the guidance on removing properties from the Council Tax list.

You must contact your council to tell them when the works are finished and your property is capable of being lived in. You will have to start paying Council Tax again at this point. Your bill may be backdated if you do not tell the council straight away.

If your property鈥檚 derelict

Your property鈥檚 only considered derelict if it:

• is not possible to live in it, for example because it鈥檚 been damaged by weather, rot or vandalism
• would need major structural works to make it 鈥榳ind and watertight鈥� again

You can challenge your Council Tax band if you think a derelict property should be removed from the Council Tax valuation list.

Your Council Tax bill tells you:

• how much you have to pay for the year
• how that amount has been worked out
• the dates you have to pay

The cost is usually split into 10 monthly payments. Contact your local council immediately if you鈥檙e having trouble paying - they can help you, for example by spreading your payments over 12 months instead of 10.

Ways to pay

You can usually pay your Council Tax online.

You can also use 鈥楶aypoint鈥�, 鈥楶ayzone鈥� or 鈥楺uickcards鈥� for cash payments at post offices, banks, newsagents and convenience stores.

Check your bill to find out which other payment methods you can use.

If you鈥檝e overpaid

Contact your local council if you鈥檝e paid too much Council Tax and have not received an automatic refund.