Council tax calculator
Choose your council, band and household to see your 2026/27 bill and what you'll pay each month. It uses each council's published charges, parish rates where they apply, and that council's own premiums on second and empty homes.
Birmingham, Band D, 2026/27
£2,362.90 a year
| Band D council tax | £2,362.90 |
|---|
Council average Band D. Choose your parish for the exact figure.
How the calculator works
It starts from your council's published charge for your band (2026/27), or your parish's charge where the government publishes parish figures. Then it applies the national rules:
- Living alone: 25% off. The same applies if everyone else in the home is disregarded, for example full-time students, apprentices or carers.
- Only full-time students: the home is exempt and there's nothing to pay.
- Disabled band reduction: you pay the charge for the band below; a Band A home pays five-ninths of Band D.
- Second homes and empty homes: nobody lives there, so no discount applies, and the council's own premium is added where it charges one.
- Scotland: water and sewerage charges are added. Residents' discounts apply to them too, but premiums don't.
Monthly payments are the yearly total divided equally; councils round the first instalment, so it may differ by a few pence. Council Tax Reduction for people on low incomes isn't included because it depends on your circumstances: how Council Tax Reduction works.
Questions
How is council tax worked out?
Your council sets a yearly charge for Band D, and your band pays a fixed fraction of it. Discounts come off that figure: 25% if you live alone, the whole bill if everyone is a full-time student, or one band lower if your home is adapted for a disabled person. Councils can add a premium on second homes and homes left empty long term.
Is council tax paid over 10 or 12 months?
Councils send 10 monthly instalments by default. In England and Wales you have the right to ask for 12 instead; Scottish councils can agree to 12 but don't have to.
Does this calculator include Council Tax Reduction?
No. Council Tax Reduction depends on your income, savings and household, and the rules differ by council in England. Use your council's own calculator or application.