Council Tax Calculator 2026-27
This council tax calculator works out your bill by band and nation, applies the single-person discount, student exemption or disability reduction, and shows exactly how the bands are calculated — using official 2026-27 rates. The average English Band D bill is now £2,392. Use the council tax calculator below, then check the bands table and discounts underneath.
Council tax bands explained (England)
Every home is placed in a band A–H based on its value on 1 April 1991. Each band is a fixed fraction of the Band D charge, so once you know your council’s Band D rate you know every band. Amounts below use the £2,392 English average.
| Band | 1991 value | Ratio | Annual (avg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | up to £40,000 | 6/9 | £1,595 |
| B | £40,001–£52,000 | 7/9 | £1,860 |
| C | £52,001–£68,000 | 8/9 | £2,126 |
| D | £68,001–£88,000 | 1 | £2,392 |
| E | £88,001–£120,000 | 11/9 | £2,924 |
| F | £120,001–£160,000 | 13/9 | £3,455 |
| G | £160,001–£320,000 | 15/9 | £3,987 |
| H | over £320,000 | 18/9 | £4,784 |
Discounts & exemptions
- ✓Single-person discount. 25% off if you're the only adult in the home.
- ✓Full-time students. Student-only households are exempt; students are disregarded in mixed homes.
- ✓Severe mental impairment. A disregard that can mean a 25% or 100% reduction.
- ✓Disability reduction. Charged one band lower if the home has adaptations for a disabled resident.
- ✓Empty & second homes. Rules vary — many councils now charge a premium rather than a discount.
Think your band is wrong?
Many homes were banded in a rush in 1991 and never reviewed. If comparable neighbouring properties sit in a lower band, you can ask the Valuation Office Agency to check yours — for free.
Important: a review can move your band up as well as down. Check the free GOV.UK band checker for similar addresses before you apply, and keep the evidence.
England, Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland
England
Bands A–H on 1991 values. 2026-27 rises capped at 4.99% (plus social-care precept). Average Band D ≈ £2,392.
Wales
Bands A–I on 2003 values; a 2025 revaluation is under review. Rates set by each of the 22 principal councils.
Scotland
Bands A–H on 1991 values, with higher multipliers for E–H since 2017. Average Band D ≈ £1,499.
Northern Ireland
No bands — domestic rates on the property's capital value (district + regional rate). Use the nidirect rates calculator.
Council Tax Reduction & support
If you’re on a low income or certain benefits, Council Tax Reduction (sometimes called Council Tax Support) can cut your bill by up to 100%. It’s run by your local council, so the exact scheme and how much you get depends on where you live, your income, savings and who else lives with you.
- ✓Pensioners on the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit can often get their whole bill covered.
- ✓Working-age claimants usually get a percentage reduction set by their council's local scheme.
- ✓You can apply even if you own your home — it's based on income, not tenure.
- ✓A second-adult rebate may help if you share with an adult on a low income who isn't your partner.
UK council tax 2026-27: bands, rates and what you actually pay
Council tax is the single largest fixed bill most UK households face, and for 2026-27 it has climbed again. The average Band D charge in England is now £2,392 a year, up 4.9% — roughly £111 — on 2025-26. This council tax calculator works from that figure and your property’s band so you can see, band by band, how much the council tax 2026 rise adds to your household budget before you switch anything else.
What you pay is never a single national number. Each local authority sets its own Band D rate within a government cap, so the 2026-27 average ranges from £2,068 across London boroughs to £2,490 in unitary authorities, with metropolitan districts and shire areas sitting in between.
The referendum cap for 2026-27 is 4.99% for councils that fund adult social care, or 2.99% for those that do not, and a handful of councils have held local referendums to raise bills above that ceiling. The definitive figures come from the MHCLG council tax statistics, and the rules that govern who pays are set out in the GOV.UK council tax guidance.
Every other band is a fixed mathematical ratio of Band D, so once you know your council’s Band D rate you can read off every band A–H. The bands table below applies the England average so you can benchmark your own bill, and the discounts section shows how the single-person discount, student exemptions and disability reductions can cut what you owe.
Use the council tax calculator above with your council’s exact Band D figure for a precise annual and monthly total, then bring the result together with your energy, water and broadband costs using the household bills calculator to see your full monthly outgoings in one place.
Council tax bands A–H (England, 2026-27)
Each of the eight council tax bands is a fixed fraction of the Band D charge. Band A pays six-ninths of Band D; Band H pays double. The annual and monthly amounts below use the £2,392England average Band D rate — swap in your own council’s Band D figure to get your exact council tax bill.
Not sure which band you are in? Look up any address for free on the GOV.UK council tax band checker. Once council tax is settled, the split household bills calculator can divide it fairly between housemates.
| Band | 1991 value | Multiplier | Annual (avg) | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band A | Up to £40,000 | 6/9 | £1,595 | £133 |
| Band B | £40,001–£52,000 | 7/9 | £1,860 | £155 |
| Band C | £52,001–£68,000 | 8/9 | £2,126 | £177 |
| Band D | £68,001–£88,000 | 9/9 | £2,392 | £199 |
| Band E | £88,001–£120,000 | 11/9 | £2,924 | £244 |
| Band F | £120,001–£160,000 | 13/9 | £3,455 | £288 |
| Band G | £160,001–£320,000 | 15/9 | £3,987 | £332 |
| Band H | Over £320,000 | 18/9 | £4,784 | £399 |
Average Band D by area type
Where you live matters as much as your band. London boroughs have the lowest average Band D council tax in England, while unitary authorities — which fund the full range of local services from one budget — have the highest. These are 2026-27 averages; your own council’s rate may differ.
| Area type | Average Band D | Monthly | Year-on-year change |
|---|---|---|---|
| London boroughs | £2,068 | £172 | +4.4% |
| Metropolitan districts | £2,409 | £201 | +5.2% |
| Unitary authorities | £2,490 | £208 | +5.3% |
| Shire areas (county + district) | £2,452 | £204 | +4.6% |
Council tax discounts & reductions
Millions of households pay more council tax than they need to because they never claim a discount they are entitled to. Discounts are not applied automatically — you have to tell your council.
The savings below are based on the £2,392 average Band D bill; the actual amount depends on your council and your band. If you are on a low income, apply for Council Tax Reduction on GOV.UK as well.
Single person discount (sole adult occupant) — save ~£598/yr. You live alone or are the only counted adult.
All occupants disregarded — 50% discount — save ~£1,196/yr. All adult residents are disregarded (students, carers, etc.).
Property exempt (all-student household etc.) — save ~£2,392/yr. All residents are full-time students or severely mentally impaired.
Disability band reduction (drops one band) — save ~£266/yr. You need an extra room, bathroom or kitchen for a substantial disability.
Care leaver aged 18-25 (council discretion) — save ~£2,392/yr. Care leavers — up to 100%, varies by council.
Annex used by family — 50% discount — save ~£1,196/yr. Annex occupied by a relative or used as part of the main residence.
Council Tax Reduction (low income) — save ~£1,196/yr. You receive means-tested benefits or are on a low income (25-100% depending on income; check with your council).
Source: GOV.UK council tax guidance; savings based on £2,392 average Band D
How council tax works: a full guide
How council tax is calculated
Council tax is a tax on residence, not ownership: it is paid by whoever lives in the property, whether they own it or rent it. The amount rests on two things — your property’s band and your local authority’s Band D rate.
Your council sets a single Band D figure each year, and every other band is worked out from it using a fixed ratio, so Band A is 6/9 of Band D, Band D is the reference point, and Band H is 18/9 (double). The official GOV.UK council tax rules explain who counts as a liable adult.
The 2026-27 cap of 4.99% includes up to 3% for general services such as bins, libraries and planning, plus up to 2% for the adult social care precept; councils without social care responsibilities are capped at 2.99%. A few authorities exceed the cap by holding a local referendum. Council tax usually sits alongside your energy and water bills as a fixed cost — compare it with your variable spending using the electricity bill calculator and the water bill calculator.
How bands map to 1991 property values
Bands in England and Scotland are based on what the property was worth on 1 April 1991; Wales uses 2003 values. This council tax calculator uses those historical valuations because homes in England and Scotland have never been revalued — a house worth £60,000 in 1991 might be worth £400,000 today, but it stays in the same band. Band A covers homes valued up to £40,000 in 1991, and Band H covers those over £320,000, with six bands in between. Because the reference date is decades old, some homes were placed in the wrong band in the initial 1991 sweep and have never been corrected.
How to challenge your council tax band
If you think your band is too high — for instance, comparable neighbouring homes sit in a lower band — you can ask the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to review it for free. You can start the process directly on GOV.UK — challenge your council tax band.
Gather evidence first: check the free GOV.UK band checker for similar addresses on your street and note their bands, and look up past sale prices to estimate the 1991 value.
It is important to understand that a review can move your band up as well as down, and it can affect neighbours too, so only challenge when the evidence genuinely supports a lower band. A successful challenge can also mean a backdated refund.
The single-person discount
Council tax assumes at least two adults live in a property. If you are the only adult aged 18 or over, you qualify for a 25% single-person discount — about £598a year off the average Band D bill. It is not applied automatically; you claim it from your local council, and you must tell them if your circumstances change. Certain other people are “disregarded” when counting adults, including full-time students, live-in carers, apprentices and people who are Severely Mentally Impaired, which can qualify a household for the discount even when more than one person lives there.
Students, SMI and other exemptions
A property occupied entirely by full-time students is exempt from council tax altogether, and in a mixed household students are disregarded so the remaining adults may still get the single-person discount. People who are Severely Mentally Impaired (SMI) — for example those with a medical certificate for a condition such as dementia — are also disregarded, which can mean a 25% or, in an all-SMI household, a 100% reduction. Households where a disabled resident needs an extra room, a second bathroom or a wider space for a wheelchair can claim the disability band reduction, which charges the property one band lower than its actual band.
Council Tax Reduction and support
If you are on a low income or certain benefits, Council Tax Reduction (sometimes called Council Tax Support) can cut your bill by up to 100%. It is run by your local council, so the scheme and the amount depend on where you live, your income, your savings and who else lives with you. You can start a claim on GOV.UK — apply for Council Tax Reduction.
Pensioners on the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit can often have the whole bill covered, while working-age claimants usually receive a percentage reduction set by their council’s local scheme. You can apply even if you own your home, because it is based on income rather than tenure, and a second-adult rebate may help if you share with a low-income adult who is not your partner.
If council tax is stretching a tight budget, it helps to see the whole picture: the gas and electric bill calculator and the childcare calculator let you weigh council tax against your other major household costs.