UK Council Tax Calculator 2026/27: Annual, Monthly and Weekly

Council tax 2026/27 at a glance

Council tax rose by 4.9% on average in England and 5.2% in Wales for 2026/27, and each nation uses its own band rules, so the same Band D figure gives different bills for Bands E to H in Scotland.

Scottish bills also carry Scottish Water charges of £652.32 a year at Band D, up 8.67% for 2026/27. Each of Scotland's 32 councils sets its own Band D, so Edinburgh is shown as a real example rather than a national figure.

How much council tax will I pay?

Your bill is your council's Band D charge multiplied by your band's share, minus any discount you qualify for. At England's 2026/27 average of £2,392, a Band D home with two adults pays £2,392.00 a year, or £239.20 a month over 10 instalments.

How council tax is calculated

Council tax is a yearly charge on homes, set by your local council to pay for local services. The formula is: Band D charge × your band's share of Band D, then minus any discount or reduction, plus any premium on a second or empty home.

Your council's Band D charge already includes the police, fire, county and parish or community council parts of the bill. The band shares are set in law: Local Government Finance Act 1992 s.5 for England, the Council Tax (Valuation Bands) (Wales) Order 2003 for Wales, and the Council Tax (Substitution of Proportion) (Scotland) Order 2016 for Scotland's upper bands.

England

England has eight bands. Band A pays 6/9 of Band D and Band H pays 18/9, which is exactly double Band D. A Band B home at the £2,392 average pays £2,392 × 7/9 = £1,860.44 a year.

Scotland

Scotland uses the same 6/9 to 9/9 shares for Bands A to D, but since 1 April 2017 Bands E to H pay more: E is 473/360, F is 585/360, G is 705/360 and H is 882/360 of Band D. Using England's shares for a Scottish home understates the bill.

Wales

Wales has nine bands, A to I, based on 2003 values. Bands A to H use England's shares and Band I pays 21/9 of Band D. At the Wales average of £2,283, a Band I home pays £5,327.00 a year.

How to use the council tax calculator

1. Choose England, Scotland or Wales. This sets the bands and the share each band pays.
2. Enter your council's Band D charge, or your own bill. The Band D total is on your council's council tax page. If you only know your yearly bill, choose "I know my yearly bill" and the calculator works out Band D for you.
3. Pick your band. Your bill shows it, or check it on the official register (see below).
4. Say who lives there. One adult gets 25% off. If every adult is disregarded, for example a live-in carer, the discount is 50%.
5. Add any Council Tax Reduction. Enter the percentage from your award letter, or leave it at 0.
6. Open More options if they apply. Add a disabled band reduction, a student exemption, a second or empty home premium, or the dates you moved in or out.
7. Compare and share. Check another area if you are moving, compare with last year's bill, open your payment schedule, or copy a link to your result.

Council tax bands explained

Your band depends on what your home was worth on a fixed date, not what it is worth today: 1 April 1991 in England and Scotland, and 1 April 2003 in Wales. The Valuation Office Agency sets bands in England and Wales and local Assessors set them in Scotland.

England council tax bands

Scotland council tax bands

Wales council tax bands

How to find your council tax band

Check your band for free on the official register: GOV.UK council tax bands for England and Wales, or the Scottish Assessors Association for Scotland. Search by postcode, pick your address and note the band letter.

The register also shows your neighbours' bands, which helps if you think yours is wrong. This calculator does not look up bands; it turns the band you find into a bill.

Council tax by postcode

A postcode tells you which council you are in, and that council's Band D charge sets your bill. To work out council tax for any address, find the council from the postcode, look up its 2026/27 charges and enter them above.

1. Find the council. Enter the postcode on GOV.UK's find your local council service.
2. Find the band. Look up the address on the official band register: GOV.UK for England and Wales, or the Scottish Assessors for Scotland.
3. Find the charge. Open the council's council tax charges page and note the 2026/27 Band D total for that area.
4. Calculate. Enter the Band D charge and the band above, or switch to "I know my yearly bill" if you have the band's figure.

Within one council, bills can still differ by postcode, because parish and town councils add their own charges. Southend-on-Sea, for example, publishes one set of 2026/27 charges for the Leigh-on-Sea Town Council area and another for the rest of the city. Use the figure for the exact area of the address.

Is your council tax band wrong?

If your home is in too high a band you overpay every year, and moving down one band saves between £265.77 and £797.33 a year at England's 2026/27 average. The calculator above shows your own figure in the receipt under "One band lower".

Signs your band may be wrong

The strongest sign is that homes like yours on the same street (same type, size and age) are in a lower band. A rise in house prices is not a reason: every band is still based on 1991 values (2003 in Wales), so the register is the comparison that counts.

How to challenge your band

1. Gather evidence. Note the bands of similar nearby homes from the official register.
2. Ask for a review. In England and Wales, use the GOV.UK challenge your council tax band service run by the Valuation Office Agency. In Scotland, contact your local Assessor.
3. Keep paying. Pay your current bill while the review runs, or you risk arrears.
4. Get any refund. If your band is lowered, your council recalculates your bill and refunds the overpayment. How far back it goes depends on the reason for the change.

Council tax by band 2026/27

These tables show the full charge for two or more adults before any discount. Use the calculator above for your own council's Band D.

England, at the £2,392 average

Wales, at the £2,283 average

Scotland, City of Edinburgh with Scottish Water

Council tax per month: 10 or 12 instalments

Council tax is a yearly bill that most councils collect in 10 monthly instalments from April to January, so your monthly payment is your yearly bill divided by 10. You can ask to pay over 12 months instead, which lowers each payment but runs to March.

On a £1,800 bill that is £180 a month over 10 instalments or £150 over 12. The total for the year is the same either way. Moving or a change in who lives with you resets the instalments, and your council sends a new bill.

Comparing monthly costs between homes? Add council tax to rent or a mortgage payment with our UK mortgage overpayment calculator, and check what your pay covers with the UK take-home pay calculator.

Single person council tax discount

If you are the only adult (18 or over) living in your main home, your bill is cut by 25%. The rule is in Local Government Finance Act 1992 s.11 and applies in England, Scotland and Wales. It is not automatic: ask your council to add it.

Some adults are not counted, so a home can qualify even when two adults live there. People who are disregarded include full-time students, student nurses, apprentices, 18 and 19 year olds still at school or college, people who are severely mentally impaired and some live-in carers. Children under 18 are never counted. If every adult is disregarded, the discount is 50%.

In Scotland the 25% discount also comes off your Scottish Water charges.

Who has to pay council tax

The adult who lives in the home as their main residence usually pays. Where several adults live there, the law sets an order of liability (Local Government Finance Act 1992 s.6), and couples who live together are jointly responsible for the bill.

Students, under-18s and other disregarded people are not liable even when they live there. If the only adults are full-time students, the home is exempt.

Council tax exemptions

An exempt home pays nothing at all, which is different from a discount. In England the exemptions are listed as classes in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992. Wales has similar classes, and Scotland has its own list with the same main cases.

Council tax discounts and reductions

Discounts depend on who lives in the home; Council Tax Reduction depends on income. Most have to be claimed, and your council decides eligibility.

Student exemption

A home where every resident is a full-time student pays no council tax. A full-time course lasts at least 24 weeks a year with at least 21 hours of study a week. In Scotland the home also pays no water charges. Send your council the student certificate from your university or college.

Disabled band reduction

If a disabled resident needs an extra room, an extra bathroom or kitchen, or space to use a wheelchair indoors, the home is charged one band lower. A Band A home is charged at 5/9 of Band D. Income does not matter. The rule is in the Council Tax (Reductions for Disabilities) Regulations 1992.

Council Tax Reduction

Council Tax Reduction (CTR) helps people on a low income or benefits pay their bill, and can cover up to 100%. Pension-age claimants are assessed under a national scheme. Working-age schemes in England are set by each council, while Scotland and Wales run national schemes.

The calculator does not estimate CTR, because the result depends on your income, savings, household and local scheme. Enter the percentage from your award letter, or apply through your council's website if you are not sure.

Second homes and empty homes

A home nobody lives in as their main home gets no single person discount, and many councils add a premium on top of the full bill. Premiums are optional, so check your council's policy.

Exceptions apply, for example homes on the market for sale or let (for up to 12 months in England), job-related homes and annexes. If you let out a room in your main home, our Rent a Room Scheme tax calculator covers the income tax side.

Worked examples

What changed for 2026/27

The average Band D bill rose by £111 (4.9%) to £2,392 in England and by £113 (5.2%) to £2,283 in Wales. In England, 274 of 384 authorities used the maximum increase allowed without a referendum, generally 4.99% for councils with social care duties. Scottish Water charges rose by 8.67%.

Three bigger changes are scheduled for April 2028:

• England: a High Value Council Tax Surcharge for owners of homes worth £2 million or more in 2026: £2,500 a year up to £2.5 million, £3,500 up to £3.5 million, £5,000 up to £5 million and £7,500 above, on top of council tax.
• Wales: the first revaluation since 2003 under the Local Government Finance (Wales) Act 2024, then every five years.
• Scotland: the 2026-27 Scottish Budget announced new Band I (£1 million to £2 million) and Band J (over £2 million) from 1 April 2028.

Council tax increase calculator

To see your own rise, enter last year's bill in "Bill going up? Compare with last year" under the calculator: it shows the change in pounds, as a percentage and per month. On average, Band D rose by £111 (from £2,281 to £2,392) in England and by £113 (from £2,170 to £2,283) in Wales.

Your own rise can differ from the average because your council, police and fire body may have chosen different increases, a parish charge may have changed, or a discount may have started or ended. In Scotland, Scottish Water charges also rose by 8.67%, on top of your council's increase.

Why council tax varies between councils

Two identical Band D homes can have very different bills because each council, police body, fire authority and parish sets its own share. In England for 2026/27, the area average Band D runs from £1,028 in Wandsworth to £2,765 in Dorset.

Area averages also differ by type of council: £2,068 in London, £2,409 in metropolitan areas, £2,452 in shire areas and £2,490 in unitary areas. Parish and town councils added £99.79 on average to Band D bills where they charge. Find all UK tools on our United Kingdom calculators page.

What your council tax pays for

One bill funds several bodies. Your billing council collects it and passes shares to the police, fire service, county council or mayor, and any parish or community council, which is why the Band D figure you enter should be the full total on your bill.

In England, councils with social care duties can add an adult social care precept of up to 2% a year; it accounts for £35.14 of the 2026/27 average Band D. A referendum is needed for rises above set limits: 5% for these councils (up to 2% for social care and 3% for other spending), 3% or £5 for district councils, £15 for police and crime commissioners and £5 for fire authorities.

Scotland and Wales have no referendum limit of this kind, so rises vary more. For 2026/27, City of Edinburgh Council raised its charges by 4% and East Lothian Council by 7.5%.

Council tax in London

London has some of the lowest council tax in England: the area average Band D for 2026/27 is £2,068, up 4.4%, against £2,392 for England as a whole. Wandsworth has the lowest area average Band D in the country at £1,028.

Every London bill includes the Greater London Authority's share, which averages £511 at Band D for 2026/27. Of that, £334 pays for the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime. Enter your borough's full Band D figure, including the GLA part, for a London result.

Council tax on a £400,000 or £1 million home

You cannot work out council tax from what a home sells for today. Bands depend on 1991 or 2003 values, and prices have moved at different rates in different areas, so a £400,000 home could sit in Band C in one town and Band F in another.

What you can say is the most a home can pay. England's top band, Band H, covers every home worth over £320,000 in 1991 and pays double Band D: £4,784.00 a year at the 2026/27 average, however valuable the home. In Wales, Band I pays £5,327.00 at the Wales average. In Edinburgh, Band H costs £5,288.46 with Scottish Water.

Council tax when you move home

Council tax is charged by the day, so tell both your old and new council your exact moving dates. Your old council sends a final bill, or a refund if you have paid ahead, and your new council sends a bill for the rest of the year.

The new bill is usually spread over the instalments left before the end of January or March, so monthly payments are higher than a full-year bill would suggest. Use the moving dates in More options above to see your part-year figure.

A change in who lives with you also changes the bill. If a partner or housemate moves out and you are left as the only adult, claim the single person discount from the day it happened.

How to lower your council tax bill

1. Check your band. Compare it with similar homes on your street on the official register. If you think it is wrong, ask for a review.
2. Claim the single person discount if you are the only adult counted, including where other adults are disregarded.
3. Apply for Council Tax Reduction if you are on a low income or benefits. Working households can qualify too.
4. Ask about a disabled band reduction if a disabled resident needs extra space or facilities.
5. Check exemptions for empty homes after a death, a move into care or repossession.
6. Spread payments over 12 months if cash flow is tight. This lowers each payment but not the yearly total.

Paying off other debts at the same time? Our UK debt payoff calculator shows how long they will take to clear.

Council tax or business rates?

Homes pay council tax; shops, offices and other business property pay business rates. A building used for both, such as a flat above a shop, is split, with council tax on the living space only.

Holiday lets move to business rates only if they meet letting tests: in England a property must be available to let for at least 140 days and actually let for 70 days a year, and in Wales the tests are 252 and 182 days. Otherwise council tax applies, and a second home premium may be added.

Northern Ireland: domestic rates, not council tax

Northern Ireland has no council tax. Homes pay domestic rates instead, billed by Land & Property Services, so this calculator does not apply there.

A rates bill is the home's capital value, as assessed at 1 January 2005, multiplied by a rate in the pound made up of a regional rate set by the Northern Ireland Executive and a district rate set by one of the 11 councils. Capital values above £400,000 are charged as if they were £400,000.

Help is available through rate relief for people on a low income, a 20% Lone Pensioner Allowance for people aged 70 or over who live alone, and a 25% Disabled Persons Allowance for homes adapted for a disabled resident. See nidirect.gov.uk for your bill and reliefs.

How close is this estimate to your real bill?

With your council's exact Band D figure, the result normally matches your bill to within a few pence; Edinburgh and Moray's published 2026/27 band charges match to the penny. Small gaps come from councils rounding each precept separately, or using an average Band D where parish charges vary.

The calculator works out your band charge, discounts you enter, premiums, part years, Scottish Water charges and instalments. It cannot confirm whether you qualify for a discount, work out your Council Tax Reduction, or know your council's local exceptions. Your official bill always comes from your council.

Common council tax calculation mistakes

• Using today's house price. Bands use 1991 values (2003 in Wales), so a price tag tells you little about your band.
• Using the national average. Your council's Band D can be hundreds of pounds above or below it.
• Applying England's shares in Scotland. Scottish Bands E to H pay more, by £149.06 a year at Band E in Edinburgh.
• Forgetting Scottish Water. It adds £652.32 at Band D and appears on the same bill.
• Dividing by 12 on a 10-month plan. Ten instalments are bigger, with nothing due in February and March.
• Assuming discounts are automatic. The single person discount, student exemption and disabled band reduction all need a claim.