ANALYSIS: TaxPayers’ Alliance finds more than half of councils’ band D tax bills are over £2,000

For immediate release

• The campaign group says councils must put a stop to endless council tax rises with 171 English authorities’ tax bills now over £2,000, a 64 per cent increase from last year.
  
  
• 55 per cent of local authorities are now charging more than £2,000 for a band D bill.
  
  
• Council tax has increased by 246 per cent since 1993-94, taking the highest band D bills to well over £2,200. Rutland will have the highest council tax in England at £2,300. 

As residents of nearly every council in England face increased council tax bills on Friday, the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) has revealed that council tax has increased by nearly 250 per cent in cash terms since it was first introduced in 1993.

The analysis shows that 55 per cent of English councils’ tax bills are over £2,000, compared to 34 per cent last year, with 67 more authorities charging over £2,000. Rutland residents have the highest band D tax bills in the country at £2,300. The lowest council tax bills in England came in at £866 in Westminster. The analysis suggests that the average band D bill in England will likely exceed £2,000 in 2023-24.

The cost of living crisis is devastating household incomes and looming tax rises will inflict further pain. The TaxPayers’ Alliance is calling on local authorities to stop council tax rises, eradicate wasteful spending, and scrap pay rises for town hall bosses.

Key findings:

• In 1993-94, the average band D council tax bill in England was £568. In 2022-23, the figure is £1,966, an increase of 246 per cent in cash terms.
  
  
• The highest percentage tax rise was Sandwell at 5.2 per cent.
  
  
• A total of 171 authorities have council tax bills of over £2,000, over half of the councils in England.
  
  
• Residents in Rutland pay the highest council tax in England at £2,300.
  
  
• Residents in Westminster pay the lowest at £866. Wandsworth is the only other authority charging less than £1,000.

Harry Fone, grassroots campaign manager of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:

“Residents are sick to the back teeth of endless council tax rises.

“We’re in the middle of a cost of living crisis and the last thing taxpayers need is more pressure trying to make ends meet every month.

“Every local authority must face up to reality and become more efficient by scrapping wasteful projects and stopping bumper pay rises for staff.”

TPA spokesmen are available for live and pre-recorded broadcast interviews via 07795 084 113 (no texts)

Media contact:

Danielle Boxall
Media Campaign Manager, TaxPayers' Alliance
[email protected]
24-hour media hotline: 07795 084 113 (no texts)

Notes to editors:

1. Founded in 2004 by Matthew Elliott and Andrew Allum, the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) campaigns to reform taxes and public services, cut waste and speak up for British taxpayers. Find out more at www.taxpayersalliance.com.
   
   
2. TaxPayers' Alliance's advisory council.
   
   
3. The full dataset for national average and individual council tax rates can be found here, in ‘Band D Council Tax figures for local authorities since 1993’.
   
   
4. The average Band D council tax bill for Wales in 2022-23 is £1,777 an increase of £32 or 2.2 per cent on 2021-22.
   
   
5. The average Band D council tax bill for Scotland in 2022-23 is £1,336 an increase of £37 or 2.9 per cent on 2021-22.
   
   
6. The TaxPayers’ Alliance releases their annual Town Hall Rich List every April. Last year’s report found 2,802 council staff received more than £100,000 in total remuneration.
   
   
7. The TaxPayers’ Alliance have launched a petition calling for local authorities to stop council tax hikes.