You can find the Council Tax band for a home in England or Wales on GOV.UK by looking up its address or postcode, and in Scotland you search on the Scottish Assessors website. Northern Ireland uses domestic rates, based on the capital value of your home on 1 January 2005, instead of council tax bands. This guide gives the band values for each nation.
Key points
✓In England and Wales, look up the address or postcode on GOV.UK. In Scotland, search on the Scottish Assessors website.
✓Council Tax bands are based on the price the property would have sold for on 1 April 1991 in England and 1 April 2003 in Wales. In Scotland they reflect the open market value at 1 April 1991.
✓England has 8 bands, A to H. Wales has 9 bands, A to I. Scotland has 8 bands, A to H.
✓Northern Ireland uses domestic rates, based on the capital value of your home on 1 January 2005.
✓The GOV.UK service can also be used to challenge your Council Tax band, and you will need to provide evidence.
How to check your council tax band
Which tool you use depends on where the property is:
England and Wales: look up the address or postcode on GOV.UK
Scotland: enter an address or post code on the Scottish Assessors portal at saa.gov.uk
Northern Ireland: there is no council tax band to look up, so see the Northern Ireland section below
On the Scottish Assessors portal, if you know the postcode you enter that in the search box, and if you do not you enter the street name.
The Valuation Office values domestic properties for Council Tax bands in England and Wales, and the Scottish Assessors' portal provides online access to the Valuation Lists (Council Tax Bands) for all eligible properties in Scotland.
What the checker tool shows you
GOV.UK says its service lets you find the band for a property, register any changes to the property or challenge the band in England or Wales by looking up the property's address or postcode online. You will need to provide evidence for a challenge.
Every property that qualifies as a dwelling will be banded for Council Tax. If you have moved into a property that does not have a Council Tax band, contact your local council, which will provide the Valuation Office with the information it needs to allocate a band. If a property has increased in size since it was first assessed, it may move to a higher band when it is next sold.
Council tax band values by nation
Council Tax bands are based on the price the property would have sold for on the open market on 1 April 1991 in England and 1 April 2003 in Wales, and in Scotland each band reflects the Assessor's opinion of the open market value of the property if sold at 1 April 1991.
England: 8 bands, valued at 1 April 1991
Band
Value at 1 April 1991
A
Up to £40,000
B
£40,001 to £52,000
C
£52,001 to £68,000
D
£68,001 to £88,000
E
£88,001 to £120,000
F
£120,001 to £160,000
G
£160,001 to £320,000
H
More than £320,000
Wales: 9 bands, valued at 1 April 2003
Band
Value at 1 April 2003
A
Up to £44,000
B
£44,001 to £65,000
C
£65,001 to £91,000
D
£91,001 to £123,000
E
£123,001 to £162,000
F
£162,001 to £223,000
G
£223,001 to £324,000
H
£324,001 to £424,000
I
More than £424,000
Scotland: 8 bands, valued at 1 April 1991
Band
Value at 1 April 1991
A
Up to £27,000
B
Over £27,000 and up to £35,000
C
Over £35,000 and up to £45,000
D
Over £45,000 and up to £58,000
E
Over £58,000 and up to £80,000
F
Over £80,000 and up to £106,000
G
Over £106,000 and up to £212,000
H
Over £212,000
Due to the range of values within each band it is possible for two properties which appear to be similar in terms of size to be in different bands.
Northern Ireland: rates instead of bands
Rates are a property tax based on the valuation of your home. Domestic rate bills must be paid on every residential property in Northern Ireland, and your rate bill is calculated by multiplying the capital valuation of your property by the rate in the pound for your local council area.
Land & Property Services (LPS) bases the capital value on 1 January 2005 prices and an understanding that all properties had an average state of internal repair and fittings, such as a standard kitchen and bathroom
If a property was built after 2005, LPS assessed the capital value by comparing it with similar properties already built and valued on 1 January 2005
You can find all property valuations online, searching by post code, via the map or using the advanced search option
LPS is responsible for assessing rates on domestic and business properties
If you think your rate bill is too high, you can ask LPS to review your property's valuation. Following a review, a valuation can go up or down, and you must continue to pay your rate bill while LPS assesses your review.
If your band or valuation looks wrong
For properties in England and Wales, you submit your challenge to the Valuation Office. In Scotland, you submit your challenge to an assessor based in your local Valuation Joint Board or council. You must continue paying Council Tax while your challenge is being reviewed. If you have been paying Council Tax for more than 6 months and there have not been any changes to the property recently but you think the band is wrong, you will need to provide addresses for up to 5 similar properties in a lower band than yours.
For the full process, see our guide to council tax bands, our council tax guide for discounts and what happens if you do not pay, and our council tax appeals guide for appeals to the Valuation Tribunal. In Northern Ireland, you can only request a valuation review if more than 28 days have passed since the property was last valued.
You can find the Council Tax band for a home in England or Wales on GOV.UK by looking up its address or postcode, and in Scotland you search on the Scottish Assessors website.
How do I find my council tax band by postcode?
In England and Wales, look up the postcode on GOV.UK. On the Scottish Assessors portal, if you know the postcode you enter that in the search box, and if you do not you enter the street name.
What council tax bands exist in England, Wales and Scotland?
England has 8 bands (A to H) based on 1 April 1991 values, from up to £40,000 (A) to more than £320,000 (H). Wales has 9 bands (A to I) based on 1 April 2003 values, from up to £44,000 (A) to more than £424,000 (I). Scotland has 8 bands (A to H) based on 1 April 1991 values, from up to £27,000 (A) to over £212,000 (H).
Does Northern Ireland have council tax bands?
Northern Ireland uses domestic rates instead. Your rate bill is calculated by multiplying the capital valuation of your property by the rate in the pound for your local council area, and the capital value is based on 1 January 2005.
Can I change my council tax band using the checker?
GOV.UK says the same service can be used to challenge your Council Tax band if you think it is wrong, and you will need to provide evidence for your challenge. For properties in England and Wales you submit your challenge to the Valuation Office, and in Scotland to an assessor based in your local Valuation Joint Board or council.
Know Your Rights UK. "Council Tax Band Checker: Check Your Band Free." Know Your Rights UK, https://www.knowyourrightsuk.com/council/council-tax-band-checker