Quick answer
Search the postcode on GOV.UK's Check your Council Tax band service to see the band for any home in England or Wales.1 In England, bands run from A (valued up to £40,000 on 1 April 1991) to H (over £320,000).2 Your bill is set as a fraction of the council's band D charge, from 6/9 for band A to 18/9 for band H, so a band E home pays 11/9 of band D.2 Check the council's charge for that band, and remember a band can be challenged within 6 months of becoming the taxpayer, and can go up as well as down.3
Key takeaways
- Look up the band by address or postcode on GOV.UK.1
- England's bands are based on what the home would have sold for on 1 April 1991.3
- Band A pays 6/9 of the band D charge and band H pays 18/9 (twice band D).2
- Bands are set by the Valuation Office, which became part of HMRC on 1 April 2026.4
- A challenge can move the band up, down or leave it the same, and neighbours' bands can be reviewed too.5
Two similar houses on the same street can sit in different council tax bands, and the gap can be several hundred pounds a year for as long as you own the home. The band is on public record, so it is worth checking before you offer, not after the first bill.
This guide covers England. Wales uses nine bands (A to I) based on values on 1 April 2003, and Scotland has its own system.
How do you check a council tax band?
Go to GOV.UK's Check your Council Tax band service and look up the property by its address or postcode.1 The result shows the band and the local council. Then look up that council's charges for the current year: each council publishes its charge for every band.
Check the listing as well. If the agent's details give a different band, or the house has been extended or split into flats, ask why.
What do the bands mean?
In England each band covers a range of values on 1 April 1991, not today's price, and the bill for each band is a fixed fraction of band D.23
| Band | Value on 1 April 1991 | Share of band D | If band D is £2,300 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to £40,000 | 6/9 | £1,533 |
| B | £40,001–£52,000 | 7/9 | £1,789 |
| C | £52,001–£68,000 | 8/9 | £2,044 |
| D | £68,001–£88,000 | 9/9 | £2,300 |
| E | £88,001–£120,000 | 11/9 | £2,811 |
| F | £120,001–£160,000 | 13/9 | £3,322 |
| G | £160,001–£320,000 | 15/9 | £3,833 |
| H | Over £320,000 | 18/9 | £4,600 |
The £2,300 band D figure is an illustration. Use your council's actual charges; amounts rounded to the nearest pound.
Worked example: band C or band E?
You are choosing between two houses at £325,000 in the same town. One is band C, the other band E. If the council's band D charge is £2,300, band C costs about £2,044 a year and band E about £2,811: a difference of about £767 a year, or around £7,670 over ten years before any increases.
That is a running cost to put alongside the mortgage, not a reason on its own to pay less for the house. But it belongs in your monthly budget, and it can explain why two similar asking prices are not the same value to you. If you will live alone, a 25% single person discount applies.6
Can you challenge a council tax band?
You can make a formal challenge if you have been paying council tax on the property for less than 6 months, or if the Valuation Office has changed the band in the last 6 months; changes to the property or the area can also qualify. Otherwise you can ask for a band review.3 You must keep paying while the challenge is looked at.3
Be careful: a challenge has three outcomes, and the band can go up, down or stay the same. The Valuation Office may also review the bands of similar neighbouring homes.5 Compare the bands of homes on the street that are genuinely similar before you start.
Second homes, empty homes and the planned £2m surcharge
If the home will be a second home or stand empty, councils in England can charge more. A premium of up to 100% can apply to homes empty for between 1 and 5 years, rising to up to 300% after 10 years, and councils can charge up to 100% extra on second homes from April 2025, with at least a year's notice.7 Because of that notice period, some councils only began charging it from 1 April 2026. Check the council's own policy.
The government has also announced a High Value Council Tax Surcharge on homes in England worth £2 million or more, planned from April 2028: £2,500 a year from £2 million to £2.5 million, £3,500 to £3.5 million, £5,000 to £5 million and £7,500 above that, paid by owners rather than occupiers.8 It is not yet law: the consultation closed on 14 July 2026 and the outcome has not been published.9
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Frequently asked questions
How do I find out a property's council tax band?+
Use GOV.UK's Check your Council Tax band service and search by address or postcode. It covers England and Wales.
What are the council tax bands in England?+
Eight bands, A to H, based on value on 1 April 1991: A up to £40,000, B to £52,000, C to £68,000, D to £88,000, E to £120,000, F to £160,000, G to £320,000 and H over £320,000.
How much more is band E than band D?+
Band E pays 11/9 of the band D charge, about 22% more. Band F pays 13/9 and band H pays twice band D.
Can my council tax band go up if I challenge it?+
Yes. A challenge can move the band up, down or leave it the same, and the bands of similar neighbouring homes may be reviewed too.
When can I challenge the band after buying?+
You can make a formal challenge within 6 months of becoming the person who pays council tax on the property. After that you can ask for a band review.
Is the £2 million council tax surcharge law?+
Not yet. It was announced in November 2025 to start in April 2028; the consultation closed on 14 July 2026 and the government has not published its response.
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OfficialThe figures and rules on this page are drawn from the official UK government sources below. Rates are the confirmed 2026/27 amounts. Each link opens the relevant official page in a new tab.
- GOV.UK: Check your Council Tax band www.gov.uk/council-tax-bands Look up a property's band by address or postcode.
- legislation.gov.uk: Local Government Finance Act 1992, section 5 www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/14/section/5 England bands A–H with value ranges and the 6:7:8:9:11:13:15:18 ratios.
- GOV.UK: Challenge your Council Tax band www.gov.uk/challenge-council-tax-band Bands based on 1 April 1991 values in England; 6-month formal challenge; keep paying meanwhile.
- GOV.UK: Valuation Office joins HM Revenue and Customs (1 April 2026) www.gov.uk/government/news/valuation-office-joins-hm-revenue-and-customs The VOA's work was brought into HMRC on 1 April 2026.
- GOV.UK: How to challenge your Council Tax band, a step-by-step guide www.gov.uk/government/news/how-to-challenge-your-council-tax-band-a-step-by-step-guide Bands can go up, down or stay the same; neighbouring bands may be reviewed.
- GOV.UK: Council Tax, who has to pay www.gov.uk/council-tax/who-has-to-pay 25% discount if you live on your own.
- GOV.UK: Council tax premiums on long-term empty homes and second homes www.gov.uk/government/publications/long-term-empty-homes-and-second-homes-council-tax-premiums-and-exceptions/guidance-on-the-implementation-of-the-council-tax-premiums-on-long-term-empty-homes-and-second-homes Empty homes premium after 1 year (from April 2024); second homes up to 100% from April 2025, decided a year ahead.
- GOV.UK: High Value Council Tax Surcharge (policy paper, Nov 2025) www.gov.uk/government/publications/high-value-council-tax-surcharge/high-value-council-tax-surcharge £2m+ homes from April 2028: £2,500 to £7,500 a year, paid by owners.
- GOV.UK: High Value Council Tax Surcharge consultation www.gov.uk/government/consultations/high-value-council-tax-surcharge Ran 19 May to 14 July 2026; response not yet published.
Verified against published UK government guidance. See also Methodology and Editorial standards.