Council Tax
For information about your Council Tax rebate you must contact your local borough or district council.
Council Tax helps pay for local services, and applies to all domestic properties whether owned or rented. How much you pay depends on the valuation band of your property and the responsibility to pay Council Tax usually lies with the occupier.
Each organisation that provides services in your area sets their own proportion of the Council Tax bill you receive. These are:
- Kent County Council
- your district council
- your parish council (if you have one)
- Kent Police
- Kent Fire and Rescue Service
Read a full guide to Council Tax on GOV.UK.
Pay your Council Tax
You pay Council Tax directly to your district council and will receive your bill from them.
On 9 February 2023, we approved a 4.995% Council Tax increase to help balance the 2023 to 2024 budget. This equates to approximately £1.40 extra per week for a band D household.
The 4.995% is made up of 2 parts:
- 2.9995% general increase, which is below the 3% threshold which would require us to hold a referendum
- a further 1.9956% for the 'adult social care precept'. This is the additional money councils raise from Council Tax in order to help pay for adult social care services. This amount can only be used as part of a council's adult social care budget.
This table shows how the increase affects each Council Tax band (please remember the figures in this table relate to the Kent County Council element of your Council Tax bill only):
| Band | Total charge for 2022 to 2023 | Increase less than the 3% referendum limit | Additional 2% Adult Social Care Levy | Total charge for 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | £974.16 | £29.22 | £19.44 | £1,022.82 |
| B | £1,136.52 | £34.09 | £22.68 | £1,193.29 |
| C | £1,298.88 | £38.96 | £25.92 | £1,363.76 |
| D | £1,461.24 | £43.83 | £29.16 | £1,534.23 |
| E | £1,785.96 | £53.57 | £35.64 | £1,875.17 |
| F | £2,110.68 | £63.31 | £42.12 | £2,216.11 |
| G | £2,435.40 | £73.05 | £48.60 | £2,557.05 |
| H | £2,922.48 | £87.66 | £58.32 | £3,068.46 |
- Read more about our 2023 to 2024 budget
- Read the Adult Social Care Statement and more information about the Adult Social Care Precept (PDF, 135.4 KB)
To establish how much Council Tax we are able to raise, we multiply the Band D Council Tax charge by the number of Band D equivalent properties in the county (our taxbase), which is provided to us by the district councils of Kent.
For 2023 to 2024 our taxbase is 571,478.39.
571,478.39 multiplied by the band D charge of £1,534.23 equals £876,779,300 (to the nearest £100). This figure is called our Council Tax requirement.
Calculating our budget
To know how much is available to spend on services, we first need to calculate how much money we will raise through:
- grants
- Council Tax
- business rates
Our net budget requirement is the cost of services funded by these sources, and the table below shows how much we will get from each in 2023 to 2024.
| Source of funding | Amount (to nearest £1000) |
|---|---|
| Council Tax requirement | 876,779.3 |
| Grants within core spending power and other unringfenced grants | 369,478.7 |
| Local share of business rates | 60,197.7 |
| Council’s share of Council Tax and business rates collection funds | 6,807.4 |
| Drawdown from reserves of Section 31 grant for compensation for irrecoverable local taxation losses due to Covid-19 | 2,347.5 |
| Net budget requirement | 1,315,610.6 |
Understanding your bill
| Typical Council Tax bill breakdown | % increase on 2022 to 2023 Council Tax bill | Amount for band D |
|---|---|---|
| Kent County Council | 2.9995% | £1,331.82 (The share of Council Tax that Kent County Council will receive in 2023 to 2024. This amount does not include the increase for adult social care funding since 2016 to 17) |
| Kent County Council (for Adult Social Care funding) | 1.9956% (Kent County Council’s share of Council Tax will increase by 2.994% in 2022 to 2023, which is this amount and the amount above) | £202.41 (This is the 1% increase for adult social care funding for 2023 to 2024 ** added to the increases for adult social care which were first introduced on 1 April 2016) The Government requires all local authorities to show the adult social care funding increase in this way on Council Tax bills. |
| Kent Police and Crime Commissioner | 6.57% | £243.15 |
| Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue | 6.01% | £87.30 |
| District or Borough Council | These amounts will vary depending on which district council you pay your council tax to | These amounts will vary depending on which district council you pay your council tax to |
| Parish council | These amounts will vary depending on which district council you pay your council tax to | These amounts will vary depending on which district council you pay your council tax to |
** This is a 1.9956% increase on the total 2022 to 2023 Kent County Council charge. How this element of your Council Tax increase is calculated:
- The total 2022 to 2023 charge was £1,461.24.
- 1.9956% of this total charge is £29.16.
- The Adult Social Care charge for 2022 to 2023 was £173.25
- The Adult Social Care charge for 2023 to 2024 is £202.41 (£173.25 + £29.16).
How your Council Tax is spent
How your Council Tax is spent by our main services
| Service | % Council Tax | Amount for Band D |
|---|---|---|
| Adults and older people | 40.49% | £621.20 |
| Children's social care | 13.79% | £211.50 |
| Borrowing costs | 9.74% | £149.41 |
| Management, support services and overheads | 7.66% | £117.49 |
| Waste services | 7.39% | £113.31 |
| Transport services | 7.60% | £116.53 |
| Highways | 3.55% | £54.46 |
| Children's other services | 2.82% | £43.23 |
| Costs of running our operational premises | 2.82% | £43.26 |
| Other direct services to the public (incl Public Protection, Environment, Regeneration, Planning & Local Democracy) | 2.23% | £34.17 |
| Community services | 1.36% | £20.89 |
| Schools' services | 0.57% | £8.78 |
| Total: | 100.00% | £1,534.23 |
None of your Council Tax goes towards funding public health or schools, as these services are fully funded by grants.
Most asylum related costs are funded from an external grant provided by the Home Office except for costs relating to individuals with “no recourse to public funds” for which the 2023 to 2024 budget is £350,300. This is the only element that is funded from our net budget requirement (which includes Council Tax, Business Rates and general government grants). It represents less than 0.03% of our Council Tax charge and 38p of the £1,534.23 Band D Council Tax charge for 2023 to 2024.
Find out how Council Tax is spent by:
- Kent Police
- Kent Fire and Rescue Service
- Ashford Borough Council
- Canterbury City Council
- Dartford Borough Council
- Dover District Council
- Folkestone and Hythe District Council
- Gravesham Borough Council
- Maidstone Borough Council
- Sevenoaks District Council
- Swale Borough Council
- Thanet District Council
- Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
- Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
On 10 February 2022, we approved a 2.99% Council Tax increase to help balance the 2022 to 2023 budget. This equates to approximately 82p extra per week for a band D household.
The 2.99% is made up of 2 parts:
- 1.99% general increase, which is below the 2% threshold which would require us to hold a referendum
- a further 0.99% for the 'adult social care precept'. This is the additional money councils raise from Council Tax in order to help pay for adult social care services. This amount can only be used as part of a council's adult social care budget.
This table shows how the increase affects each Council Tax band (please remember the figures in this table relate to the Kent County Council element of your Council Tax bill only):
| Band | Total charge for 2021 to 22 | Increase less than the 2% referendum limit | Additional 1% Adult Social Care Levy | Total charge for 2022 to 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | £945.84 | £115.50 | £858.66 | £974.16 |
| B | £1,103.48 | £134.75 | £1,001.77 | £1,136.52 |
| C | £1,261.12 | £154.00 | £1,144.88 | £1,298.88 |
| D | £1,418.76 | £173.25 | £1,287.99 | £1,461.24 |
| E | £1,734.04 | £211.75 | £1,574.21 | £1,785.96 |
| F | £2,049.32 | £250.25 | £1,860.43 | £2,110.68 |
| G | £2,364.60 | £288.75 | £2,146.65 | £2,435.40 |
| H | £2,837.52 | £346.50 | £2,575.98 | £2,922.48 |
- Read more about our 2022 to 2023 budget
- Read the Adult Social Care Statement and more information about the Adult Social Care Precept (PDF, 129.9 KB)
Understanding your bill
| Typical Council Tax bill breakdown | % increase on 2021 to 2022 Council Tax bill | Amount for band D |
|---|---|---|
| Kent County Council | 1.998% | £1,287.99 (The share of Council Tax that Kent County Council will receive in 2022 to 2023. This amount does not include the increase for adult social care funding since 2016-17) |
| Kent County Council (for Adult Social Care funding) | 0.996% (Kent County Council’s share of Council Tax will increase by 2.994% in 2022 to 2023, which is this amount and the amount above) | £173.25 (This is the 1% increase for adult social care funding for 2022 to 2023 ** added to the increases for adult social care which were first introduced on 1 April 2016) The Government requires all local authorities to show the adult social care funding increase in this way on Council Tax bills. |
| Kent Police and Crime Commissioner | 4.58% | £228.15 |
| Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue | 1.89% | £82.35 |
| District or Borough Council | These amounts will vary depending on which district council you pay your council tax to | These amounts will vary depending on which district council you pay your council tax to |
| Parish council | These amounts will vary depending on which district council you pay your council tax to | These amounts will vary depending on which district council you pay your council tax to |
** This is a 0.996% increase on the total 2021 to 2022 Kent County Council charge. How this element of your Council Tax increase is calculated:
- The total 2021 to 2022 charge was £1,418.76.
- 0.996% of this total charge is £14.13.
- The Adult Social Care charge for 2021 to 2022 was £159.12
- The Adult Social Care charge for 2022 to 2023 is £173.25 (£159.12 + £14.13).
How your Council Tax is spent
| Service | % Council Tax | Amount for band D |
|---|---|---|
| Adults and older people | 40.42% | £590.64 |
| Children's social care | 13.91% | £203.23 |
| Borrowing costs | 10.94% | £159.87 |
| Management, support services and overheads | 7.99% | £116.74 |
| Waste services | 7.04% | £102.90 |
| Transport services | 6.59% | £96.25 |
| Highways | 3.41% | £49.79 |
| Children's other services | 3.06% | £44.78 |
| Costs of running our operational premises | 2.45% | £35.73 |
| Other direct services to the public (incl Public Protection, Environment, Regeneration, Planning & Local Democracy) | 2.17% | £31.73 |
| Community services | 1.40% | £20.44 |
| Schools' services | 0.63% | £9.14 |
| Total: | 100.00% | £1,461.24 |
None of your Council Tax goes towards funding public health or schools and high needs education services as these services are fully funded by grants.
Find out how Council Tax is spent by:
- Kent Police
- Kent Fire and Rescue Service
- Ashford Borough Council
- Canterbury City Council
- Dartford Borough Council
- Dover District Council
- Folkestone and Hythe District Council
- Gravesham Borough Council
- Maidstone Borough Council
- Sevenoaks District Council
- Swale Borough Council
- Thanet District Council
- Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
- Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
On 11 February 2021, we approved a 4.99% Council Tax increase to help balance the 2021 to 2022 budget. This equates to approximately £1 extra per week for a band D household.
The 4.99% is made up of 2 parts:
- 1.99% general increase, which is below the 2% threshold which would require us to hold a referendum
- a further 2.99% for the 'adult social care precept'. This is the additional money councils raise from Council Tax in order to help pay for adult social care services. This amount can only be used as part of a council's adult social care budget.
This table shows how the increase affects each Council Tax band (please remember the figures in this table relate to the Kent County Council element of your Council Tax bill only):
| Band | Total charge for 2020 to 21 | Increase less than the 2% referendum limit | Additional 3% Adult Social Care Levy | Total charge for 2021 to 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | £900.84 | £18.00 | £27.00 | £945.84 |
| B | £1,050.98 | £21.00 | £31.50 | £1,103.48 |
| C | £1,201.12 | £24.00 | £36.00 | £1,261.12 |
| D | £1,351.26 | £27.00 | £40.50 | £1,418.76 |
| E | £1,651.54 | £33.00 | £49.50 | £1,734.04 |
| F | £1,951.82 | £39.00 | £58.50 | £2,049.32 |
| G | £2,252.10 | £45.00 | £67.50 | £2,364.60 |
| H | £2,702.52 | £54.00 | £81.00 | £2,837.52 |
- Read more about our 2021 to 2022 budget
- Read the Adult Social Care Statement and more information about the Adult Social Care Precept (PDF, 166.9 KB)
Understanding your bill
| Typical Council Tax bill breakdown | % increase on 2020 to 2021 Council Tax bill | Amount for band D |
|---|---|---|
| Kent County Council | 1.998% | £1,259.64 (The share of Council Tax that Kent County Council will receive in 2021 to 2022. This amount does not include the increase for adult social care funding since 2016-17) |
| Kent County Council (for Adult Social Care funding) | 2.997% (Kent County Council’s share of Council Tax will increase by 4.995% in 2021 to 2022, which is this amount and the amount above) | £159.12 (This is the 3% increase for adult social care funding for 2021 to 2022 ** added to the increases for adult social care which were first introduced on 1 April 2016) The Government requires all local authorities to show the adult social care funding increase in this way on Council Tax bills. |
| Kent Police and Crime Commissioner | 7.38% | £218.15 |
| Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue | 1.93% | £80.82 |
| District or Borough Council | These amounts will vary depending on which district council you pay your council tax to | These amounts will vary depending on which district council you pay your council tax to |
| Parish council | These amounts will vary depending on which district council you pay your council tax to | These amounts will vary depending on which district council you pay your council tax to |
** This is a 2.997% increase on the total 2020 to 2021 Kent County Council charge. How this element of your Council Tax increase is calculated:
- The total 2020 to 2021 charge was £1,351.26.
- 2.997% of this total charge is £40.50.
- The The Adult Social Care charge for 2020 to 2021 was £118.62
- The Adult Social Care charge for 2020 to 2021 was £159.12 (£118.62 + £40.50).
How your Council Tax is spent
| Service | % Council Tax | Amount for band D |
|---|---|---|
| Adults and older people | 40.16% | £569.77 |
| Children's social care | 13.71% | £194.54 |
| Borrowing costs | 11.01% | £156.15 |
| Management, support services and overheads | 7.78% | £110.33 |
| Waste services | 7.16% | £101.56 |
| Transport services | 6.86% | £97.27 |
| Highways | 3.13% | £44.45 |
| Children's other services | 3.11% | £44.09 |
| Costs of running our operational premises | 2.37% | £33.68 |
| Other direct services to the public (incl Public Protection, Environment, Regeneration, Planning & Local Democracy) | 2.27% | £32.23 |
| Community services | 1.48% | £20.97 |
| Schools' services | 0.97% | £13.72 |
| Total: | 100.00% | £1,418.76 |
None of your Council Tax goes towards funding public health or schools and high needs education services as these services are fully funded by grants.
Find out how Council Tax is spent by:
- Kent Police
- Kent Fire and Rescue Service
- Ashford Borough Council
- Canterbury City Council
- Dartford Borough Council
- Dover District Council
- Folkestone and Hythe District Council
- Gravesham Borough Council
- Maidstone Borough Council
- Sevenoaks District Council
- Swale Borough Council
- Thanet District Council
- Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
- Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
We pay a levy to the Environment Agency Southern Regional Flood and Coastal Committee of £442,054. (compared to £420,366 in 2019-20).
Questions about your Council Tax bill
Contact your district council for any enquiries relating to your Council Tax including:
- appeals
- benefits
- changing your details
- exemptions
- fraud
- reductions.