Local government

Sign up for updates to this topic page

On this page

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. Pay your Council Tax

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

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. 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

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

See more services in this topic

Guidance and regulation

1. Start paying Council Tax
   • Detailed guide
   • 22 January 2016
   • Valuation Office Agency
2. How domestic properties are assessed for Council Tax bands
   • Detailed guide
   • 26 January 2017
   • Valuation Office Agency
3. How to check and challenge your rateable value
   • Detailed guide
   • 3 December 2018
   • Valuation Office Agency
4. Traffic signs manual
   • Guidance
   • 18 March 2019
   • Department for Transport
5. How non-domestic (business) properties are valued
   • Detailed guide
   • 1 April 2017
   • Valuation Office Agency

See more guidance and regulation in this topic

News and communications

12 June 2019 — Press release

Businesses to pay rates bills that better reflect current property values

Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

1. Local government business rates pilots: guidance error
   • 1 June 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Correspondence
2. New Council Tax guide protects most vulnerable households
   • 26 May 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Press release
3. Funding boost for councils looking after asylum seeking children
   • 8 May 2019
   • Home Office
   • News story
4. Embrace the benefits of public scrutiny, councils told
   • 7 May 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Press release

See more news and communications in this topic

Research and statistics

1. Local authority capital expenditure and financing in England: 2019 to 2020 individual local authority data forecast
   • 13 June 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • National statistics
2. DCMS Community Life Survey: Ad-hoc statistical releases
   • 13 June 2019
   • Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
   • Statistical data set
3. Live tables on local government finance
   • 13 June 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Statistical data set
4. Local authority capital expenditure and receipts in England: 2018 to 2019 provisional outturn and 2019 to 2020 forecast
   • 13 June 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • National statistics
5. Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2019 to 2020
   • 24 May 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • National statistics

See more research and statistics in this topic

Policy papers and consultations

1. The proposed reorganisation of local government in Northamptonshire
   • 14 May 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Consultation outcome
   • Date closed 25 January 2019
2. Local government pension scheme: changes to the local valuation cycle and management of employer risk
   • 8 May 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Open consultation
   • Closing date 31 July 2019
3. Decapitalisation rates for the 2021 business rates revaluation
   • 14 March 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Closed consultation
   • Date closed 30 May 2019
4. 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
5. Brexit and local government: response to the HCLG Select Committee report
   • 3 June 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Policy paper

See more policy papers and consultations in this topic

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: salaries, April 2015 to March 2016
   • 2 August 2018
   • Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain
   • Transparency
4. Traffic Commissioners: register of interests April 2017 to March 2018
   • 2 August 2018
   • Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain
   • Transparency
5. Deputy Traffic Commissioners: spending April 2014 to March 2015
   • 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. Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Show more organisations

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