Council Tax & Finance

Most of us are familiar with the concept of budgeting. Whether the budget is for household expenses like shopping, clothes for the kids, mortgage or car, the principle is the same; cutting your cloth according to your means is the key to a well-managed budget.  At the Council the principle is the same; we have an income derived from things like Council Tax, rents and government grants and an expenditure on things like refuse collection, leisure facilities, housing and benefits.

Key Information Relating to Council Tax

• HOW IS COUNCIL TAX CALCULATED & WHAT DOES IT PAY FOR? -  To find out the banding for a property in Charnwood please visit the DirectGov web site.  To find the charge for a particular band in a particular area of Charnwood please see Council Tax Bands 2013-14 (PDF Document, 0.1 Mb).
• WHO IS LIABLE TO PAY COUNCIL TAX?
• DISCOUNTS - All you need to know.
• EXEMPTIONS - All you need to know.
• DISABILITY REDUCTION SCHEME - All you need to know.
• COUNCIL TAX SUPPORT- Link to the Leicestershire and Rutland Council Tax Support Scheme Information pages.
• PAYING YOUR COUNCIL TAX - Details about ALL the methods of payment available.
• NON-PAYMENT & LATE PAYMENTS - Action The Council will take.
• MOVING HOUSE - What you need to do.
• COUNCIL TAX FOR FLATS, BEDSITS AND SHARED HOUSES - All you need to know.
• COMPLAINTS & APPEALS - The process explained.

If you can't find what you are looking for contact Council Tax who will be happy to assist.

Every year the Council constructs a budget which balances the needs of the Borough with the money available to deliver

On the Financial Services pages you can find out about our budget and financial plans, insurance arrangements and audit opinions.

Council Tax

We are responsible for collecting the Council Tax locally not only on behalf of this authority but also for Leicestershire County Council, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicestershire, the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Combined Fire Authority and local Town or Parish Councils. What a lot of people don't know is that we are only responsible for spending a small amount of the tax we collect. The rest is handed straight over to the other agencies (see below). In fact for every £1,000 we collect we keep less than £80 and it's from this smaller amount that we part fund the services we provide.

What Is Done by Us?

• Refuse collection and recycling
• Street cleaning
• Environmental Health (pest control,stray dogs, food safety)
• Sports and Leisure facilities (Leisure Centres, parks, playgrounds)
• Arts and Culture (Museum, Town Hall, rural tours)
• Housing
• Planning applications
• Support for new businesses and new retail development

What Is Done by Others ?

• Schools - by the County Council
• Roads - by the County Council
• Policing - by Leicestershire Police
• Libraries - by the County Council
• Social Care - by the County Council and the NHS
• Buses - by the private sector
• Parks and Playgrounds (outside Loughborough) by Parish Councils
• Country Parks - by the County Council