Local government

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Services

1. Check your Council Tax band

   Find out the Council Tax band for a property in England, Scotland or Wales by looking up the property's postcode online

2. Council Tax

   Your Council Tax bill - how to work it out, who has to pay, discounts and exemptions for students and disabled people, second homes, empty properties, paying the bill

3. Find and check your business rates valuation

   How to check the rateable value of your business property - compare it with other properties, request changes to your valuation and challenge the business rates you've been charged

4. Pay your Council Tax

   Pay Council Tax online or by other methods, like direct debit to your local council

5. Apply for Council Tax Reduction

   Apply to your local council for Council Tax Reduction if you're on a low income or benefits - this has replaced Council Tax Benefit

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Guidance and regulation

1. How domestic properties are assessed for Council Tax bands
   • Detailed guide
   • 26 January 2017
   • Valuation Office Agency
2. Start paying Council Tax
   • Detailed guide
   • 22 January 2016
   • Valuation Office Agency
3. How to check and challenge your rateable value
   • Detailed guide
   • 3 December 2018
   • Valuation Office Agency
4. Council Tax band changes
   • Detailed guide
   • 22 January 2016
   • Valuation Office Agency
5. How non-domestic (business) properties are valued
   • Detailed guide
   • 1 April 2017
   • Valuation Office Agency

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News and communications

14 March 2019 — News story

£260 million announced for the Borderlands growth deal

HM Treasury and Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland

1. People encouraged to register to vote in North of Tyne Combined Authority mayoral election
   • 11 March 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Press release
2. Publication of councillors’ and candidates’ home addresses: letter to local authorities
   • 7 March 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Correspondence
3. Local authorities with major ports to receive funding boost to help with Brexit preparations
   • 20 February 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Press release
4. EU Exit Local Government Delivery Board: January 2019 update
   • 8 February 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Press release

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Research and statistics

1. Live tables on local government finance
   • 14 March 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Statistical data set
2. National non-domestic rates collected by councils in England: forecast for 2019 to 2020
   • 13 February 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Official statistics
3. National non-domestic rates collected by councils in England: 2017 to 2018
   • 29 January 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Official statistics
4. Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2017 to 2018 individual local authority data - outturn
   • 15 November 2018
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • National statistics
5. Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2017 to 2018 final outturn
   • 15 November 2018
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • National statistics

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Policy papers and consultations

1. Decapitalisation rates for the 2021 business rates revaluation
   • 14 March 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Open consultation
   • Closing date 30 May 2019
2. UCI Road World Championships 2019 in Harrogate: general power of competence
   • 13 March 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Consultation outcome
   • Date closed 17 January 2019
3. Local Government Pension Scheme: Fair Deal – strengthening pension protection
   • 10 January 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Open consultation
   • Closing date 04 April 2019
4. Local government pension scheme: technical amendments to benefits
   • 18 December 2018
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Consultation outcome
   • Date closed 29 November 2018
5. Business rates retention reform
   • 13 December 2018
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Closed consultation
   • Date closed 21 February 2019

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Transparency and freedom of information releases

1. Twenty-second meeting of the Libraries Taskforce
   • 11 March 2019
   • Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
   • Corporate report
2. Traffic Commissioners: annual report 2017 to 2018
   • 3 January 2019
   • Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain
   • Corporate report
3. Traffic Commissioners: register of interests April 2017 to March 2018
   • 2 August 2018
   • Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain
   • Transparency
4. Traffic Commissioners: salaries, April 2015 to March 2016
   • 2 August 2018
   • Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain
   • Transparency
5. Traffic Commissioners: register of interests, April 2015 to March 2016
   • 2 August 2018
   • Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain
   • Transparency

See more transparency and freedom of information releases in this topic

Organisations

1. Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
2. Department for Transport
3. Valuation Office Agency
4. HM Treasury
5. Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain

Show more organisations

1. Foreign & Commonwealth Office
2. Ministry of Defence
3. Cabinet Office
4. Department for Education
5. Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
6. Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs
7. HM Courts & Tribunals Service
8. Home Office
9. Department of Health & Social Care
10. Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland
11. Ministry of Justice
12. HM Revenue & Customs
13. Department for Work & Pensions
14. Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street
15. Government Actuary's Department
16. Public Health England
17. Office for Product Safety & Standards
18. Office for Low Emission Vehicles
19. Office of the Secretary of State for Wales Swyddfa Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru
20. Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
21. Committee on Standards in Public Life
22. Disclosure & Barring Service
23. Government Digital Service
24. Maritime & Coastguard Agency
25. Northern Ireland Office
26. Bona Vacantia
27. Government Legal Department
28. Office of the Public Guardian
29. Academy for Social Justice Commissioning
30. Armed Forces' Pay Review Body
31. Crown Commercial Service
32. Government Equalities Office
33. Lammy Review
34. Marine Management Organisation
35. Office for Civil Society
36. The Oil and Pipelines Agency
37. Planning Inspectorate
38. Office of the Leader of the House of Commons

1. Defence Infrastructure Organisation
2. Innovate UK
3. High Speed Two (HS2) Limited
4. Biometrics Commissioner
5. National Probation Service
6. Social Security Advisory Committee
7. British Hallmarking Council
8. Competition and Markets Authority
9. Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee
10. Environment Agency
11. Highways England
12. HM Land Registry
13. Ofsted
14. Single Source Regulations Office

Explore sub-topics

1. Business rates
2. Council Tax
3. Councils and elections
4. Data collection and reporting
5. Local Housing Allowance
6. Local government finance and capital assets
7. Local government pensions