Council Tax Band Checker: Every Band's Charge by Postcode

Check council tax by postcode, live. Enter a postcode below and HouseCheckup resolves the billing authority and shows its official 2026/27 charge for every band (A–H in England and Scotland, A–I in Wales), derived from the council's verified Band D rate via the statutory proportions, the same arithmetic every council uses to set its own schedule. Council tax is one of the largest ongoing costs of homeownership (averaging around £2,000 a year per Band D dwelling in England), yet many buyers forget to factor it in. The specific property's own band is held on the official Valuation Office Agency register (gov.uk/council-tax-bands, or the Scottish Assessors Association for Scotland), and the checker links you straight to it, so you read the band there and the charge here. The £24.99 Complete report folds the charge into the True Monthly Cost, alongside stamp duty, EPC, flood and more: 15+ checks from official sources.

Resolves the billing authority for the postcode and shows its official 2026/27 charge for every band. England, Wales & Scotland.

This check runs on screen, no signup. The full property report is £9.99 Lite / £24.99 Complete. One report, one price, no subscription.

Cancel for a full refund at any time before your report is emailed. Terms

  • One-off

    No subscription

    Pay once for each report you buy.

  • Named

    Sources & coverage

    Every report names its sources and the checks it could not run.

  • GB

    England, Wales & Scotland

    Coverage varies by nation and source, and is stated.

  • £9.99

    Reports from

    Lite £9.99, Complete £24.99.

From this free check to the full report

The free tool answers one question. The report covers the whole address.

  1. No signup

    Use the free tool

    Run the tool above. The answer shows on this page, with nothing to sign up for.

  2. Before you pay

    Pick the house and the report

    Choose the exact address, then Lite (£9.99) or Complete (£24.99). One-off, no subscription.

  3. Emailed within 24 hours

    Get the full report

    The report for that address is emailed to you, with every source named and any check it could not run stated.

How to check a council tax band by postcode

To check a council tax band by postcode, enter the postcode in the checker above. The authoritative free sources are the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) at gov.uk/council-tax-bands for England and Wales, and the Scottish Assessors Association for Scotland. Both let you search by postcode, pick the exact address and read the band, no account, no fee. HouseCheckup surfaces the band alongside the rest of a property's data so you can weigh the running cost before you offer.

What the council tax bands mean

Council tax is charged by band, set from the property's value on a fixed historic date: 1 April 1991 in England and Scotland, 1 April 2003 in Wales. Band D is the reference point: Band A pays roughly two-thirds of the Band D charge, Band H around double. England and Scotland use bands A–H; Wales uses A–I.

BandEngland (1991 value)Relative to Band D
AUp to £40,0006/9 (≈67%)
B£40,001 – £52,0007/9
C£52,001 – £68,0008/9
D£68,001 – £88,0009/9 (reference)
E£88,001 – £120,00011/9
F£120,001 – £160,00013/9
G£160,001 – £320,00015/9
HOver £320,00018/9 (2×)

Value ranges are the 1991 thresholds for England. Scotland uses different thresholds; Wales uses 2003 values across bands A–I.

How the annual charge is set

The pound figure on your bill is the Band D charge set by your local authority (plus police and fire precepts and any parish charge), scaled by your band's ratio. Two homes in the same band pay different amounts in different councils, because each authority sets its own Band D rate each year. That is why a band on its own only tells half the story: the council it sits in determines the actual cost.

Discounts, exemptions and challenging your band

Several reductions can apply: a 25% single-person discount, full student exemptions, disabled band reduction, and means-tested council tax support. If you think your band is wrong (for example a comparable neighbour sits lower), you can ask the VOA to review it, but a review can raise a band as well as lower it, so check the evidence first.

Council tax is one line of the true cost

Council tax is a recurring cost for the whole time you own a home, second only to the mortgage for many buyers. The true cost of owning a house calculator brings it together with mortgage, energy, service charge and ground rent into one monthly figure, and the Complete report (£24.99) pulls the real band and charge for a specific address, alongside stamp duty, the EPC, flood, crime and more: 15+ checks from official sources.

Frequently asked questions

How is council tax calculated in the UK?
Council tax is based on the valuation band of your property (A–H in England and Scotland, A–I in Wales). Bands were set using 1991 property values in England and Scotland, and 2003 values in Wales. The annual charge for each band is set by your local authority, police authority, and fire authority combined. Band D is the reference band.
What are the council tax bands?
In England, council tax bands range from A (properties valued up to £40,000 in 1991) to H (over £320,000 in 1991). Band A pays roughly two-thirds of the Band D rate, while Band H pays roughly twice the Band D rate. HouseCheckup shows the band mix for the local area and the Band D charge set by the local authority; for a specific property's own band, we link you to the official VOA register.
Can I reduce my council tax bill?
You may be eligible for a 25% single person discount, council tax support (low income), disability reduction, or student exemption. You can also challenge your band if you believe it is wrong. The VOA handles appeals in England. HouseCheckup shows your council's charge for every band; check your property's exact band on the VOA register to see whether it looks right.
How do I check a property's council tax band by postcode?
Enter the postcode in the checker at the top of this page to see the billing authority's charge for every band, derived from its official Band D rate. The official source of record for a specific property's own band is the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) at gov.uk/council-tax-bands for England and Wales, and the Scottish Assessors Association at saa.gov.uk for Scotland, both free, with no sign-up. Read the band there, read the charge here, and you have the property's actual annual bill before you offer.
Where can I look up a council tax band?
Look up a specific property's own council tax band on the official VOA register (England and Wales) at gov.uk/council-tax-bands or the Scottish Assessors Association (Scotland) at saa.gov.uk; HouseCheckup shows the billing authority's charge for every band and links you straight to those registers for the exact property band. The band you owe is set by the Valuation Office Agency; council tax itself is paid to your local authority, with the charge varying by band and council.
Why are properties in the same street sometimes in different bands?
Bands are based on what each dwelling was worth on a fixed valuation date (1 April 1991 in England and Scotland, 1 April 2003 in Wales), not on its size today. Extensions, conversions and differences in the original property type mean neighbouring homes can sit in different bands. If a comparable neighbour is in a lower band, that can be grounds to ask the VOA to review yours, though a review can move a band up as well as down.

Check the whole address

Search an address in England, Wales and Scotland, see the available area data, then choose an emailed report for the property.

Type the full address with its postcode to go straight to your report options. Try .

Cancel for a full refund at any time before your report is emailed. Terms

What the report coversThe pre-offer check

Still have a question? We typically respond within 24 hours.

info@housecheckup.co.ukContact page

Last updated: