Somerset Council Tax 2026/27
Band D council tax in Somerset is £2,560.59 for 2026/27, up 5% (£121.97) on last year. That is £169.07 above the England average of £2,391.52 — the 242nd lowest of 296 councils. Most homes here are in Band B (27%), so the average bill per home is about £2,401.
Updated 2026-10-03 · Unitary authority, South West · Official England government statistics
Somerset council tax bands 2026/27
| Band | Property value (1991) | Annual | 10 instalments | 12 instalments | Living alone (−25%) | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to £40,000 | £1,707.06 | £170.71 | £142.26 | £1,280.30 | 43,460 |
| B | £40,001 to £52,000 | £1,991.57 | £199.16 | £165.96 | £1,493.68 | 72,560 |
| C | £52,001 to £68,000 | £2,276.08 | £227.61 | £189.67 | £1,707.06 | 60,240 |
| D | £68,001 to £88,000 | £2,560.59 | £256.06 | £213.38 | £1,920.44 | 40,580 |
| E | £88,001 to £120,000 | £3,129.61 | £312.96 | £260.80 | £2,347.21 | 31,300 |
| F | £120,001 to £160,000 | £3,698.63 | £369.86 | £308.22 | £2,773.97 | 16,990 |
| G | £160,001 to £320,000 | £4,267.65 | £426.77 | £355.64 | £3,200.74 | 7,850 |
| H | More than £320,000 | £5,121.18 | £512.12 | £426.77 | £3,840.89 | 520 |
- Somerset
- England average
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Where your Somerset council tax goes
Your bill is collected by Somerset but shared between 5 bodies. Of the £2,560.59 Band D charge, £1,950.89 (76%) stays with the council itself; the rest pays for police and crime commissioner, fire and rescue authority, parish/town council.
| Body | Band D | Share | Band B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Council (incl. earlier adult social care) | £1,913.74 | 74.7% | £1,488.46 |
| Adult social care precept: 2026/27 increase | £37.15 | 1.5% | £28.89 |
| Police and crime commissioner | £308.20 | 12.0% | £239.71 |
| Fire and rescue authority | £109.68 | 4.3% | £85.31 |
| Parish/town council (average) | £191.82 | 7.5% | £149.19 |
- Council (incl. earlier adult social care) £1,914 74.7%
- Adult social care precept: 2026/27 increase £37 1.5%
- Police and crime commissioner £308 12.0%
- Fire and rescue authority £110 4.3%
- Parish/town council (average) £192 7.5%
The parish or community council figure is an average across Somerset; your own bill is higher or lower depending on which parish you live in, and is shown on your bill.
Somerset council tax history
Band D in Somerset has risen from £2,116.09 in 2023/24 to £2,560.59 in 2026/27 — 21% in 3 years. Somerset was created in 2023, so earlier figures are for its predecessor councils and not shown.
- Somerset Band D
| Year | Band D | Change | Band B |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | £2,560.59 | +5.0% | £1,991.57 |
| 2025/26 | £2,438.62 | +7.6% | £1,896.70 |
| 2024/25 | £2,267.02 | +7.1% | £1,763.24 |
| 2023/24 | £2,116.09 | – | £1,645.85 |
Homes by council tax band in Somerset
Somerset has 273,500 homes on the valuation list (31 March 2026). 42% are in Bands A or B. The most common band is B, which costs £1,991.57 a year (£199.16 a month over 10 instalments).
Somerset compared with South West
Somerset is the 16th cheapest of 27 councils in South West, where the average Band D across councils is £2,511.40 (£49.19 less than here). Cheapest: Isles of Scilly (£2,047.96); most expensive: Dorset (£2,765.02).
| Council | Band D 2026/27 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Stroud | £2,491.36 | +5.1% |
| Exeter | £2,495.36 | +4.9% |
| South Gloucestershire | £2,550.59 | +5.1% |
| Somerset | £2,560.59 | +5% |
| Wiltshire | £2,571.78 | +5.3% |
| Cornwall | £2,590.93 | +5.3% |
| East Devon | £2,595.46 | +5.4% |
Discounts and reductions
- Living alone: 25% off — a Band B bill in Somerset drops from £1,991.57 to £1,493.68.
- Council Tax Reduction: Somerset 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).
Somerset'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.
Somerset's Council Tax Reduction bands after the 2025 cuts
Somerset Council runs an income-banded Council Tax Reduction scheme for working-age residents. In December 2024, during what it called a financial emergency, it cut support from 1 April 2025. The top band still gets 100% off. The other bands fell from 75%, 40% and 25% to 50%, 25% and 10%.
Support is also capped at the Band D charge. On a Band E home, a household in the 100% band is credited with no more than the Band D bill (£2,560.59 in 2026/27). It pays the £569.02 difference itself.
- Each adult non-dependant in the home, or non-dependant couple, cuts support by £10 a week.
- Claims can be backdated by 3 months, down from 12.
- The first £25 a week of earnings is ignored. So are Child Benefit, child maintenance, Carer’s Allowance, DLA, PIP and the housing element of Universal Credit.
- Savings over £6,000 rule you out. If you are struggling, you can apply to the council’s Exceptional Hardship scheme.
| Income band | Discount before April 2025 | Discount from April 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Band 1 (lowest income) | 100% | 100% |
| Band 2 | 75% | 50% |
| Band 3 | 40% | 25% |
| Band 4 | 25% | 10% |
| Above Band 4 | 0% | 0% |
Premiums and local discounts in Somerset
Somerset gives no discount on empty or unfurnished homes, including homes under major repair. On 20 December 2023 the council cut the wait for the long-term empty premium from two years to one, starting April 2024. It also voted for a 100% second homes premium from 1 April 2025. A Band D second home now pays £5,121.18. Homes empty for 5 to 10 years pay three times the normal charge, and homes empty for over 10 years pay four times.
Somerset has its own discounts too. Care leavers under 25 who are liable for council tax get 100% off, whichever UK council looked after them. Foster carers approved by Somerset Council or Homes and Horizons, and qualifying Somerset special guardians, can get 50% off. A foster carer must have looked after a child for at least 26 weeks in the previous 12 months. Direct debits are taken on the 1st or 15th of the month, over 10 instalments from April to January or 12 from April to March.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Band D council tax in Somerset?
£2,560.59 a year in 2026/27, or £256.06 a month over 10 instalments. This includes police, fire and average parish precepts.
What council tax band are most homes in Somerset?
Band B: 72,560 of 273,500 homes (27%). A Band B bill is £1,991.57 in 2026/27.
How much has Somerset council tax gone up?
5% this year, from £2,438.62 to £2,560.59 at Band D. Since 2023/24 it has risen 21%.
Who gets the council tax I pay in Somerset?
Council (incl. earlier adult social care) £1,913.74; Adult social care precept: 2026/27 increase £37.15; Police and crime commissioner £308.20; Fire and rescue authority £109.68; Parish/town council (average) £191.82 (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.
Do care leavers pay council tax in Somerset?
Care leavers under 25 get a 100% discount, whichever UK council they were in the care of.
How far back can Somerset backdate Council Tax Reduction?
Three months, since 1 April 2025. It used to be 12 months.
When did Somerset start charging double on second homes?
From 1 April 2025. Holiday homes that planning rules stop people living in all year are excepted (Class L).
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)
- Somerset Council – Changes to Council Tax Reduction from 1 April 2025
- Somerset Council – Council Tax information for empty and second homes
- Somerset Council – Pay your Council Tax