Council Tax Billing

Frequently asked questions about Council Tax Billing.

Council Tax is a property tax with a personal element. The property element is based on the property's valuation band. The personal element takes into account the number of people aged over 18 living in a property, and allows for a discount to be granted in some circumstances.

• What does my Council Tax pay for?

  The Council Tax collected goes towards the overall expenditure of the Council and the two largest sources of expenditure are Education and Social Services.

   

  You can find more information on the main Council Tax page of the website.

• How do I check if my direct debit is set up? 
  The payment method will be shown at the bottom of your demand notice. 
• Can I pay my bill over 12 months? 

  We can arrange for your bill to be recalculated over 12 months as standard, rather than the 10 shown on your bill. To arrange this, please use Council Tax or write to us requesting your account is amended.

• Can I pay my bill weekly?
  We are able to give the customer weekly installments if requested. To arrange this, please contact the Council Tax team. 
• My bill is missing the single person discount. 
  Head over to our Council Tax webpage and submit an application for Single Person Discount using the ‘Council Tax Enquiry’ e-form. 
• What does the balance shown on previous account mean? 
  Even though the Council Tax bills are dated after 22 February 2024, they were generated based on the circumstance of the account on this date. Any differences in balance since this date will not be reflected on your Council Tax bill.
  
  If any adjustments have been made (such as discount, exemptions or benefits) you will receive a new bill or adjustment notice to reflect this.
• What does 'Other Discount' mean?
  Other discount will appear on Council Tax bills where a disregarded discount is in place. A disregarded discount is where we treat a person as a single person and give them the 25% discount but we know that there are other adults at the property. The most common scenarios that this happens is where other adult occupants are severely mentally impaired or full time students.
• Is there a discount if I don't use all Council services? 

  There is no discount for residents who do not use all council services. The expenses of each local service are not directly related to the Council Tax levied and a Council Tax payer who does not have use of all the services available or is dissatisfied with the level of service provided is still liable for the full charge levied. As a result, there is no entitlement to a reduction in your payments.

• Can my Council Tax band be changed? 

  The banding of the property is not set by the Vale of Glamorgan Council, this is set by the Valuation Office Agency (a Central Government Department), you will need to contact them on 03000 505 505 or look at their website for information. 

• Why has a premium been added to my Council Tax bill?

  From 1 April 2023 long-term empty properties (those that have been unoccupied for over 12 months) have been charged a 100% premium on their Council Tax. From 1 April 2024 this premium has increased to 150% for long-term empty properties that have remained unoccupied for over 24 months. Additionally, from 1 April 2024 periodically occupied properties (often referred to as second homes) have been charged a 100% premium on their Council Tax. This is a result of changes made by the Welsh Government to Sections 12A and 12B to the Local Government Finance Act 1992, which allows Councils to set a premium of up to 300% on long-term empty properties and periodically occupied properties.