Council Tax Calculator (2025/26)
Estimate your council tax from your band and your council's Band D rate — then compare it with the Proportional Property Tax that would replace council tax with a 0.48% annual charge.
Your home
How council tax works — and why it's under fire
Council tax raises about £45 billion a year for local services, but it is based on what your home was worth in 1991. There has never been a revaluation in England. The result: a modest terrace in Hartlepool can pay more than a Kensington townhouse worth fifty times as much. That's why replacement ideas keep resurfacing — most concretely the Proportional Property Tax (0.48% of current value, replacing both council tax and stamp duty).
What the parties say
- Burnham / PPT campaign — replace council tax and stamp duty with a 0.48% annual charge on current values.
- Lib Dems — replace business rates with a Commercial Landowner Levy (the commercial cousin of this argument).
- Labour / Conservatives — no national revaluation announced; annual rise caps continue.
Frequently asked questions
How is council tax calculated?
Every home in England is in a band (A–H) based on its value in April 1991. Your council sets a Band D rate each year; other bands pay a fixed fraction of it — Band A pays 6/9ths of Band D, Band H pays double. The average Band D bill in England for 2025/26 is about £2,280.
What are the council tax bands?
In England: Band A (up to £40,000 in 1991 values), B (£40–52k), C (£52–68k), D (£68–88k), E (£88–120k), F (£120–160k), G (£160–320k) and H (over £320,000). Because they use 1991 valuations, many similar-priced homes today sit in very different bands.
Would any party replace council tax?
The most developed proposal is the Proportional Property Tax backed by Andy Burnham — replacing council tax and stamp duty in England with a flat 0.48% annual charge on today's property value. Supporters say it's fairer; critics point to big bills in high-price areas. Use the calculator to compare your bill.
Why is council tax criticised as unfair?
Bands are based on 1991 values and are capped at Band H, so a £50 million mansion pays at most twice the Band D rate while modest homes in the North and Midlands often pay a larger share of their value. Both the IFS and IPPR have called it overdue for revaluation.