A short guide on local taxes and the services they provide.
What is Council Tax?
Council tax is the tax we pay for our local services. It is a property tax, that is the amount of tax you pay is based on the value of your property rather than how many people there are in the house who use services. Single person households can get a discount of 25%
It is made up of 4 elements:
- The charges levied by Northumberland County Council for general expenditure
- The charges levied by Northumberland County Council for adult social care
- The Parish Council precept
- The charges levied for policing.
How is it calculated?
Broadly speaking it is the total amount required to fund local government and the police divided by all the households paying tax in the area.
Does everyone pay the same?
No, the amount of tax paid varies from area to area depending on the level of services provided and within areas the amount you pay depends on the value of your home. Depending on the value of the property it will be classified from Band A to Band H. With Band A paying the least and increasing through each Band to Band H who pay the most. Locally 85% of properties are classified as Band A or B.
The Parish Council View
The Parish Council considers that the current method for calculating Council Tax is confusing and should be simplified. However, until that happens, it is the system that we all have to operate and it is the Parish Council’s role to see that local people get value for money.