Understanding Council Tax

We are receiving a large number of emails and telephone enquiries. In the first instance please login to or register for MyServices which will give you online access to your Council Tax, Benefits and Business Rates Accounts. Most changes to demand notices can be seen immediately online, whereas the issue of paper bills may be delayed depending on staff resources and mail availability.

View your Council Tax account online using 'My Services'. Find out more about the 'My Services' account

Council Tax is used to pay for local services. There is one Council Tax bill for every property whether it is owned or rented, and whether it is a house, bungalow, flat, maisonette, mobile home or houseboat.

The full amount of Council Tax that you have to pay is made up of a number of separate charges made by separate authorities.

Download Information on payments, valuation bands, appeals and discounts Council Tax explanatory notes 2024/25 (PDF, 122KB)

Council Tax Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs)

Council Tax bands

View the Council Tax Banding charges for 2024/25

View the Council Tax Banding charges for 2023/24 

 

 

Your Council Tax is worked out from the value of your property on 1 April 1991 as decided by the Valuations Office. Based on this value, every property is grouped into one of 8 Council Tax bands.

The band for your property is shown on your bill. Check what Council Tax band you are in.

A change in the value of your house caused by general house prices going up or down will not be a reason for changing your Council Tax band (it is based on the price your property would have been sold for on 1 April 1991).

 Valuation band Range of Values  

A

Up to and including £40,000

B

£40,001 - £52,000

C

£52,001 - £68,000

D

£68,001 - £88,000

E

£88,001 - £120,000

F

£120.001 - £160,000

G

£160,001 - £320,000

H

More than £320,000

You may be entitled to Council Tax discounts that mean you will not have to pay the full Council Tax for your property.

Wrong Council tax band

You can challenge the Council Tax band for your property if you believe it is wrong.

You should continue to pay your original Council Tax bill ('demand notice') whilst your appeal is outstanding.

If you have overpaid your Council Tax, any credit from the overpayment will be offset against any outstanding balance, and the remaining money will be refunded to you.

Further information is available from the Valuation Office Agency.

The local Valuation Office that covers the Harborough District is Council Tax East.

Who must pay Council Tax

You’ll usually have to pay Council Tax if you’re 18 or over and own or rent a home. 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.

Generally, the person who is highest in the following list is liable to pay the Council Tax:

  • Resident freeholder - this could be someone who owns and lives at the property
  • Resident leaseholder - this could be an owner who lives at the property who is paying a ground rent
  • Resident statutory or secure tenant - this could be a Housing Association or private tenant
  • Resident licensee - this could be a landlord of a public house who lives on the premises
  • Other resident - this could be a squatter
  • Owner who does not live at the property

A resident is someone aged 18 years or over who lives in the property as their only or main home.

In some cases more than one person is responsible for making sure that the Council Tax is paid. People who are joint owners or joint tenants are jointly liable. A person who is severely mentally impaired will not be jointly liable.

You must tell us when you become responsible for Council Tax at a property.

Contact us if you disagree with our decision about who is responsible for a property's Council Tax bill. We will review your information and must reply to you within 2 months. If you still disagree with our decision you can appeal to a Valuation Tribunal. You should continue to pay your original bill while you wait for a decision.

When the property owner must pay

In some special cases the owner, not the residents, has to pay the Council Tax. These are:

  • Properties occupied by more than 1 household, where the residents pay rent separately for different parts of the dwelling and where the households may share cooking or washing facilities eg some hostels, nurses' homes or groups of bed-sits
  • Residential care homes, nursing homes (such as hospices), nursing homes for mental health care or certain types of hostel providing a high level of care
  • Religious communities such as monasteries or convents
  • Properties that are not the owner's main home, but which are the main home of someone that the owner employs in domestic service
  • Vicarages and other properties where a minister of religion lives and works (where the owner-occupier is a Church of England minister of religion the church is responsible for the bill)

When you do not pay Council Tax - Exemptions

If you own a property that qualifies for an exemption (does not require you to pay a Council Tax bill) you will not receive a Council Tax bill for this period. However we will send you information to let you know the valuation band the property has been placed in and what the Council Tax would be if it were not exempt.

Contact us if you believe you qualify for an exemption to be applied to your property.

If you receive an exemption then you must tell us of any change of circumstances which affects your entitlement within 21 days. Failure to do so may lead to a penalty charge.

For properties that are currently not lived in you can apply for a Council Tax exemption for one of the following reasons:

(if you wish to claim one of these exemptions please email us with full details by clicking on the relevant link or download the relevant form by clicking on the PDF link)

For properties that are currently being lived in you can apply for a Council Tax exemption for one of the following reasons:

(please click on the PDF link to download the relevant form)