Council Tax Information
Council tax is set by local councils to help pay for local services such as policing and recycling collections. It applies to all domestic properties, including houses, bungalows, flats, maisonettes, mobile homes or houseboats, whether owned or rented.
The council sets the annual charge for council tax for each band, based on criteria set by the government and then issues each household with an annual bill.
Ashford Borough Council collects your council tax and it is then distributed to Kent County Council, the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, the Kent Fire and Rescue Service and to your parish council, if you live in an area with one.
Read council tax in Ashford 2020 leaflet [pdf] 1896KB, which tells you how Ashford Borough Council spends your money and at what level it is setting its council tax.
If you have a query regarding your council tax bill please email customer.care@ashford.gov.uk.
How else is my money spent?
You can view information from the other precepting authorities by clicking on the relevant links below:
Details of the parish precepts can be viewed by downloading the following documents
- Parish Expenditure 2020 [xlsx] 13KB
- Parish Expenditure and Precepts 2019-2020 [xlsx] 16KB
- Parish Expenditure and Precepts 2018-2019 [xlsx] 16KB
- Parish precepts 2017 [pdf] 99KB
- Parish precepts 2017 [xlsx] 17KB
- Parish precepts 2016 [xlsx] 16KB
- Parish precepts 2016 [pdf] 234KB
- Parish expenditure and precepts 2015 [xlsx] 18KB
Your parish clerk's contact details can be found by downloading the parish clerks list [pdf] 93KB.
The amount of council tax you pay depends on where you live within the borough, the value of your property and your personal circumstances. You can view this in either an Excel or PDF format via the links below:
- Council tax charge per band - 2020 [xlsx] 14KB
- Council tax charge per band 2019 [pdf] 42KB
- Council tax charge per band 2018 [pdf] 130KB
- Council tax charge per band 2018 [xlsx] 12KB
- Council tax charge per band 2017 [xlsx] 12KB
- Council tax charges 2017 [pdf] 28KB
- Council tax charge per band 2016 [pdf] 18KB
- Council tax charges per band 2016 [xlsx] 13KB
- Council tax bandings 2015 [pdf] 52KB
Paying your council tax
Your council tax bill is normally payable in ten monthly instalments with the first due on 1 April and the last due on 1 January.
If you wish to pay over twelve monthly instalments please email customer.care@ashford.gov.uk.
You must pay your council tax instalments on or before the due dates shown on your bill, if you don’t we will take further recovery action. Please remember if you receive any notice from us regarding the non-payment of your council tax do not ignore it as this may mean further action will be taken which will incur additional costs.
If you have your account number available you can look up your council tax balance. If you think you may be entitled to it, apply for a council tax refund.
How can I pay my council tax?
There are several ways in which you can pay your council tax bill.
- Online
- By direct debit to pay your council tax monthly
(Please note that if you need to let us know of a change of your bank account details, you will need to fill in a new direct debit form) - Find out further ways in which you can pay
From 21 October 2019 payments via Allpay (post offices and PayPoint) can be made using the bar code printed on your Council Tax and Business Rates bills. The council will no longer be ordering plastic Allpay cards, but payment can still be made at all the same places using the barcode on your bill.
I've received a bill and I have never had to pay before
Due to the abolition of council tax benefit and the introduction of council tax reduction you may have to contribute something towards your council tax bill when previously you may not have had to. Find out more information about council tax reduction.
