Plymouth Council Tax 2026/27
Band D council tax in Plymouth is £2,441.85 for 2026/27, up 5% (£116.43) on last year. That is £50.33 above the England average of £2,391.52 — the 149th lowest of 296 councils. Most homes here are in Band A (39%), so the average bill per home is about £1,975.
Updated 2026-10-03 · Unitary authority, South West · Official England government statistics
Plymouth council tax bands 2026/27
| Band | Property value (1991) | Annual | 10 instalments | 12 instalments | Living alone (−25%) | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to £40,000 | £1,627.90 | £162.79 | £135.66 | £1,220.93 | 48,140 |
| B | £40,001 to £52,000 | £1,899.22 | £189.92 | £158.27 | £1,424.41 | 33,440 |
| C | £52,001 to £68,000 | £2,170.53 | £217.05 | £180.88 | £1,627.90 | 23,690 |
| D | £68,001 to £88,000 | £2,441.85 | £244.19 | £203.49 | £1,831.39 | 10,340 |
| E | £88,001 to £120,000 | £2,984.48 | £298.45 | £248.71 | £2,238.36 | 5,280 |
| F | £120,001 to £160,000 | £3,527.12 | £352.71 | £293.93 | £2,645.34 | 1,900 |
| G | £160,001 to £320,000 | £4,069.75 | £406.98 | £339.15 | £3,052.31 | 620 |
| H | More than £320,000 | £4,883.70 | £488.37 | £406.97 | £3,662.77 | 60 |
- Plymouth
- England average
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Where your Plymouth council tax goes
Your bill is collected by Plymouth but shared between 4 bodies. Of the £2,441.85 Band D charge, £2,028.97 (83%) stays with the council itself; the rest pays for police and crime commissioner, fire and rescue authority.
| Body | Band D | Share | Band A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Council (incl. earlier adult social care) | £1,990.32 | 81.5% | £1,326.88 |
| Adult social care precept: 2026/27 increase | £38.65 | 1.6% | £25.77 |
| Police and crime commissioner | £303.20 | 12.4% | £202.13 |
| Fire and rescue authority | £109.68 | 4.5% | £73.12 |
- Council (incl. earlier adult social care) £1,990 81.5%
- Adult social care precept: 2026/27 increase £39 1.6%
- Police and crime commissioner £303 12.4%
- Fire and rescue authority £110 4.5%
Plymouth council tax history
Band D in Plymouth has risen from £1,599.81 in 2016/17 to £2,441.85 in 2026/27 — 53% in 10 years. Over the last five years it rose 23.3%, the 242nd biggest increase of 296 councils in England.
- Plymouth Band D
| Year | Band D | Change | Band A |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | £2,441.85 | +5.0% | £1,627.90 |
| 2025/26 | £2,325.42 | +5.0% | £1,550.28 |
| 2024/25 | £2,214.87 | +4.9% | £1,476.58 |
| 2023/24 | £2,111.56 | +5.1% | £1,407.71 |
| 2022/23 | £2,008.23 | +1.4% | £1,338.82 |
| 2021/22 | £1,979.91 | +5.1% | £1,319.94 |
| 2020/21 | £1,884.65 | +3.9% | £1,256.43 |
| 2019/20 | £1,813.14 | +4.0% | £1,208.76 |
| 2018/19 | £1,742.67 | +4.6% | £1,161.78 |
| 2017/18 | £1,665.32 | +4.1% | £1,110.21 |
| 2016/17 | £1,599.81 | – | £1,066.54 |
Homes by council tax band in Plymouth
Plymouth has 123,470 homes on the valuation list (31 March 2026). 66% are in Bands A or B, so for most households the real bill is well below the Band D figure. The most common band is A, which costs £1,627.90 a year (£162.79 a month over 10 instalments).
Plymouth compared with South West
Plymouth is the 9th cheapest of 27 councils in South West, where the average Band D across councils is £2,511.40 (£69.55 more than here). Cheapest: Isles of Scilly (£2,047.96); most expensive: Dorset (£2,765.02).
| Council | Band D 2026/27 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Cotswold | £2,391.65 | +5% |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | £2,435.58 | +7.5% |
| Swindon | £2,438.10 | +5.2% |
| Plymouth | £2,441.85 | +5% |
| Forest of Dean | £2,443.42 | +5% |
| Torbay | £2,470.25 | +5.1% |
| North Somerset | £2,491.22 | +8.6% |
Discounts and reductions
- Living alone: 25% off — a Band A bill in Plymouth drops from £1,627.90 to £1,220.93.
- Council Tax Reduction: Plymouth runs its own scheme for people on low incomes or benefits — rules differ from council to council in England.
- Disregards and exemptions: full-time students, student halls, some carers and people with a severe mental impairment are not counted; all-student homes pay nothing.
- Disabled Band Reduction: if your home has been adapted for a disabled person you may be billed one band lower (Band A homes get a reduction of 1/9 of Band D).
Plymouth's 5% rise compares with an England average of 4.9%. Councils responsible for social care can raise their own share by up to 4.99% without a referendum, districts by under 3% or £5, and police and fire bodies by fixed cash amounts — so the area total can move by a different percentage.
Council Tax Support: an 80% cap and income bands
Plymouth’s working-age Council Tax Support is banded by income, and the most it pays is 80% of the bill, worked out on no higher than a Band E charge. So every working-age claimant pays at least 20%. The council’s 2026–27 scheme keeps both the 80% cap and the £6,000 savings limit, and raises the income bands. With those rules, a claimant in a Band A home on full support pays £325.58 for 2026/27. In a Band B home it is £379.84.
- The figures are weekly household income for 2026–27. Households with a child under five, or more than one child, get the highest thresholds. War pensioners get 80% on income up to £653 a week, and people on Income Support, income-based JSA or income-related ESA get the 80% band automatically.
- Child Benefit, PIP, DLA, Carer’s Allowance, the ESA support or work-related activity component, child maintenance, war pensions, Bereavement Support Payments and Universal Credit housing costs are not counted.
- If you are self-employed and past your first year of trading, your income is assumed to be at least a minimum level. Each non-dependent adult living with you can reduce support by £4.90 a week.
- New claims take an average of 21 days. Keep paying your bill as normal while you wait.
| Reduction | Single, no children | Couple, no children | One child | Child under 5, or 2+ children |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80% | £0–£104.99 | £0–£157.99 | £0–£262.99 | £0–£328.99 |
| 60% | £105–£170.99 | £158–£221.99 | £263–£328.99 | £329–£392.99 |
| 40% | £171–£236.99 | £222–£289.99 | £329–£457.99 | £393–£523.99 |
| 20% | £237–£339.99 | £290–£392.99 | £458–£589.99 | £524–£718.99 |
Empty and furnished homes
If a home is empty and unfurnished, Plymouth charges nothing for the first month. It then has to be occupied for six weeks before the discount can be given again. After a month the full charge applies. After a year a 100% premium is added, rising to 200% after five years and 300% after ten. There is no discount while major works are carried out. Furnished homes with no main resident have paid double since 1 April 2025, so a Band C flat kept as a second home costs £4,341.07 in 2026/27.
Paying, and a new HMRC pilot on arrears
Monthly Direct Debits are taken on the 1st or 15th, over 10 or 12 months. Weekly and fortnightly Direct Debits are taken on Fridays. You can also ask online to change your instalment dates. Council tax reference numbers have eight digits and start with a 4 or 5.
From late summer 2026 the council is running a 12-month pilot with HMRC under the Digital Economy Act. If you owe council tax and the council already has a liability order from court against you, it can ask HMRC for your employer’s details. It can then take the debt straight from your wages through an attachment of earnings. The council will write to you before your information is shared.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Band D council tax in Plymouth?
£2,441.85 a year in 2026/27, or £244.19 a month over 10 instalments. This includes police, fire and average parish precepts.
What council tax band are most homes in Plymouth?
Band A: 48,140 of 123,470 homes (39%). A Band A bill is £1,627.90 in 2026/27.
How much has Plymouth council tax gone up?
5% this year, from £2,325.42 to £2,441.85 at Band D. Since 2016/17 it has risen 53%.
Who gets the council tax I pay in Plymouth?
Council (incl. earlier adult social care) £1,990.32; Adult social care precept: 2026/27 increase £38.65; Police and crime commissioner £303.20; Fire and rescue authority £109.68 (Band D, 2026/27).
How do I find my council tax band?
Search your postcode on GOV.UK “Check your Council Tax band”, run by the Valuation Office Agency. You can challenge your band if you think it is wrong.
What is the maximum council tax support in Plymouth?
For working-age claimants, 80% of the bill, worked out on no higher than Band E, so everyone pays at least 20%. Pension-age claimants can get up to 100%.
Can Plymouth City Council take council tax from my wages?
Yes, once it has a liability order from court. From late summer 2026 it is piloting asking HMRC for employment details so it can take deductions from wages. It will write to you first.
Is there a discount on empty homes in Plymouth?
Only for the first month an unfurnished home is empty. After that the full charge applies, with premiums added after one year.
Sources
Figures are taken from official government publications and were last reviewed on 2026-10-03.
- MHCLG: Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027
- MHCLG: Council Tax levels 2026-27, Tables 1 to 9 (ODS)
- MHCLG: Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027, Table 10 local authority level data
- MHCLG: Council Tax levels 2025-26 (revised), Table 10 Local Authority Level Data (ODS), used for England % change
- VOA / GOV.UK: Understand how Council Tax bands are assessed
- GOV.UK: Council Tax – who has to pay (single person discount)
- MHCLG: Band D Council Tax figures 1993 onwards, Table 5 area Band D (live table, 2026-27 revised)
- VOA: Council Tax stock of properties 2026, Table CTSOP1.0 (properties by band at 31 March 2026, England and Wales)
- Plymouth City Council – Council Tax Support scheme 2026 to 2027
- Plymouth City Council – Council Tax Support
- Plymouth City Council – Empty properties
- Plymouth City Council – Pay your council tax
- Plymouth City Council – HMRC data sharing pilot