It pays for bin collections, leisure centres and social care – as well as loads more besides – but there are few people who really enjoy paying the council tax.
It usually goes up by 3.99% (the legal maximum) every year, and in parts of the country bin collections are reported to get sloppier and services cut.
But there is good news for the majority of council tax payees this February and March.
What a lot of people forget is that for most people, council tax is paid in 10 monthly instalments, not 12.
As a result, a majority of people who pay council tax are set to get two ‘free’ months in February and March, where the regular monthly payments are not collected.
As Hyndburn Borough Council explains: “A standard council tax bill is payable over 10 months from April to January, usually on the first of each month (other dates are available by Direct Debit include the 10th, 20th and 28th).
“This gives people two months off paying council tax in February and March, sometimes referred to as ‘free months’.”
And Leeds Council confirms this option is also available: “Council tax is usually calculated for a full year, starting in April and ending in March. When you pay by Direct Debit it is split into monthly payments.
You can choose:
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to split it into 10 monthly payments (April to January) or 12 monthly payments (April to March)
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to make your payments on the 10th, 20th or last day of each month”
The default for the vast majority is to have 10 monthly council tax payments each year, then have two months off.
However, those in arrears, or those who moved in and didn’t set up their bills straight away, might have a bit of backlog to pay off and in those cases the bills are sometimes spread into February and March too.
The average council tax bill for a Band D property in England is £2,171 per year or £217 a month paid by Direct Debit in 10 instalments. That means you’ll save £217 a month in the next two months.
And if you have a Band E, F, or G property, you’ll cut your outgoings even further in the next two months, meaning your monthly bills will be much lower than normal in February and March.
