Your 2025 council tax bill explained

In March you'll get a new council tax bill showing how much your instalments will be from 1 April 2025. If you’ve signed up for paperless billing, your bill will be sent to your email address on Thursday 6 March. If you still get your bill in the post, your bill will be dated and posted on Friday 7 March.

The bills show information correct as of February 2025. However, if you have provided any new information within the last 21 days we may not have processed this yet. If any changes result in a difference to the amount you have to pay we will send you a revised bill.

Please read your bill carefully to make sure you know what you need to pay and check whether the correct discounts and exemptions and council tax support have been given to you.

The council tax you pay goes towards local services such as policing, fire services, education, parks and household rubbish collections. The amount you pay depends on the area that you live in and which property band your home is given. Your bill will be adjusted if you qualify for any of the council tax discounts or exemptions, or if you qualify for help with your council tax because you have a low income.

Council tax charges 2025 to 2026

See council tax charges and parish precept charges for 2025 to 2026.

Precept

In this area, a 'precept' is a charge collected on behalf of us, Kent County Council, The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent, Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority and our parish councils.

We collect the council tax on behalf of all these authorities. Find out more about where your council tax goes.

You may like to read information from other authorities who deliver services in your area:

The adult social care precept

The adult social care precept is an amount charged by Kent County Council to help fund adult social care. Read more about the adult social care precept.

Paying by Direct Debit

Please check the box on your bill where it says how much each instalment is; it tells you how you are due to pay. If it tells you that the instalments are collected by Direct Debit you don’t need to do anything as we will automatically change your payments to make sure the right amount is taken.

If you don’t currently pay by Direct Debit and you would like to, please sign up to Direct Debit.

Allpay cards

If you still live at the same address you can continue to use your existing payment card, you don’t need a new one.

Council tax premiums

An additional charge (premium) can be applied to your council tax bill in certain circumstances. Council tax premiums benefit our district and communities as an incentive to bring empty or under utilised homes back into use.

Unoccupied and furnished properties (second homes)

From 1 April 2025, a council tax premium of 100% will be applied to an empty and furnished property, which is not used as your main home. The premium will increase the council tax payable to 200%.

Long-term empty properties

A premium is charged when a property has been empty for one year or more.

From 1 April 2025, the following premiums apply to properties:

that have been empty and substantially unfurnished for at least one year but less than five years, the premium is 100%
that have been empty and substantially unfurnished for at least five years but less than 10 years, the premium is 200%
that have been empty and substantially unfurnished for 10 years or more, the premium is 300%

As this premium applies to the property, a change of ownership or tenancy will not affect the premium. If when you purchased or leased your property it had already been empty and unfurnished for one year or more, you will have to pay the extra council tax charge. The additional charge can only be removed by bringing your property back into use.

The provision given to charge a premium is intended to help us to:

maximise the use made of existing housing stock in the district, with the objective of unoccupied homes being released to become fully occupied
increase the supply of affordable housing and enhance the sustainability of local communities

You can request further information for the number and value of premiums.

Find out more about the long-term empty premium

Exceptions to the premium

No premium will be charged on the following properties if they are:

Armed Forces accommodation - a property which is left empty by a member of the armed services, who is away from the property as a result of their service
A property which forms part of a single property, for example, an annexe
Occupied and furnished caravan pitches and boat moorings
Furnished seasonal homes where all year occupation is specified as holiday accommodation only or where all year occupancy is prevented by a planning condition

Exceptions to the premium - time limited

No premium will be charged if, for a maximum of 12 months:

A property is being actively marketed for sale
A property is being actively marketed for let
A probate has been granted on a property within the last 12 months
An unfurnished property is in need of or undergoing structural alterations and or major repairs

Tell us about your property

You can let us know if you think your property meets the exception criteria:

Kent County Council's offer to care leavers

If you're leaving care to become independent and you're aged between 16 and 25, Kent County Council (KCC) may be able to help support you. If you have left care, and KCC have appointed you a personal adviser, please give your council tax bill to them to arrange payment.

Find out more on the offer to care leavers

If you disagree with your council tax bill

Please see the appeals and disputes page for information about how to appeal and what you can appeal against.

If you appeal against your council tax, you must continue with your regular payments until your appeal has been dealt with.

If you don’t pay your council tax

The council tax is a priority bill that must be paid by everyone who is liable.

If council tax is not paid as and when it is due, we will take recovery action which could mean costs being added to your account.

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