How to pay Council Tax

Council Tax payments

Payments should always be made to the council direct. We do not accept discounted payments offered by other/third-party companies. If you have been asked to make payments by a third party, you can contact Consumer and Trading Standards for advice.

Council Tax bills

Annual bills are issued in March with payments due over ten months from April to January. If you have a change in circumstances during the Council Tax year, for example, a discount is applied to your account or you move home, a new bill will be issued to show the revised charges to 31 March. Your payments will be spread over the remaining Council tax payment months (with the final payment month being in January normally). 

Pay by Direct Debit

• You will need your Council Tax account number and bank details
• You can pay on the 1st, 7th, 14th, 21st or 28th of the month
• It can take up to 14 days to set up your Direct Debit
• You will receive a new bill confirming your monthly payments and payment dates   

Please note: you don't need to set up a new Direct Debit every year. Your final payment will be in January and your Direct Debit will automatically start again in April for the new year.

You can change the details on your Direct Debit (for example, your name, bank account or payment date) by setting up a new Direct Debit. The new Direct Debit will automatically replace the old one. 

If you don't know your Council Tax account number, you can complete our Council Tax - account number request form.

Customers who pay by Direct Debit can win a year free from Council Tax payments. Once your Direct Debit is set up, you will automatically be entered into our prize draw in April of each year.

Pay online

Payments must reach your Council Tax account by the 1st of the month and will normally appear in your account within two working days. 

You will need your Council Tax account number, card details and the account name on your bill to make a payment. If you don't know your Council Tax account number, you can complete our Council Tax account number request form. 

Pay by phone

Payments must reach your Council Tax account by the 1st of the month. Contact our 24-hour payments call centre on 0303 123 1005 to make a payment. If payments are made by 6pm, they will normally appear in your account within two working days.

You will need your Council Tax account number, card details and the account name on your bill to make a payment. If you don't know your Council Tax account number, you can complete our Council Tax account number request form. 

Problems paying your Council Tax

If you're having problems paying your Council Tax bill, please contact us straight away. Don't let the problem get worse.

Council Tax collection and recovery

Further information on instalments, arrears and recovery methods, can be found on our collection and recovery stages page.  

Myaccount

Do you know you can register to view your Council Tax account online?

You can sign into your account at any time to check your balances, find out how much you need to pay or view/print off your bill. You can also check if any discounts, exemptions, or reductions have been applied to your bill.

All you need is your Council Tax account number and an email address to get started. If you don't know your Council Tax account number, you can complete our Council Tax - account number request form. For more information and to register go to Myaccount.