Understanding your Council Tax bill

We will send you a bill each year or whenever there are changes to your Council Tax account during the year. You can find information about each part of the bill in the numbered sections below the image.

1. The financial year the bill is for. We work in financial years so this will go across two calendar years
2. The name of the liable person(s) or company responsible for paying the bill and the address the bill was sent to
3. Your Council Tax account number. Please have this with you when you contact us about your Council Tax account or when making a payment
4. The date the bill was printed
5. The 'allpay' barcode which allows you to make payments towards your bill at any Post Office or PayPoint outlets
6. The property the bill is for if it differs from the postal address details in figure 2
7. Any other people liable for Council Tax at the property will be shown here, for example a person you live with as your partner or a joint tenant
8. The Council Tax band for your property
9. This shows how the money collected from your bill is split between services, please visit the Council Tax factsheets for a summary of how your money is allocated
10. A breakdown of how your Council Tax has changed compared to the previous year, and for which service. For a detailed summary of how this is calculated, including Adult Social Care (for years 2016/17 to 2024/25) please see How is my Council Tax spent?
11. The amount you owe before any discounts, exemptions, or Council Tax Support have been applied
12. A breakdown of any discounts, exemptions, or Council Tax Support awarded. Please see Council Tax Reductions for details of the allowances and exemptions that are available
13. The total calculated amount of Council Tax you need to pay for the year after discounts, exemptions, or Council Tax Support
14. A breakdown of your instalments for the year and the payment due dates we need to receive your payments by. If you do not pay by Direct Debit, be sure to make your payments on time to avoid getting a reminder or losing your statutory right to pay by instalments
15. Confirmation of your payment method. Direct Debit is the easiest way to pay but other ways to pay can be found on the back of your bill
16. Any important notes relevant to your account, such as if you have an amount owing for a previous year, can be found in this section
17. The reason the bill was issued. A Bill is sent at the start of each financial year or if there is a change to your Council Tax account during the year