Council Tax

Council Tax is a form of local taxation. It is charged on all domestic properties and goes towards paying for local services.

We are part of the Anglia Revenues Partnership (ARP) which delivers an efficient Council Tax and Housing Benefit service across five Councils.

Visit the ARP website to view full information about Council Tax or sign into your account. This page also provides links to the most popular questions.

On this page:

Pay your Council Tax

Pay online

You can also make a cash payment at a Post Office or PayPoint outlet.

Set up a direct debit

Set up a Direct Debit online

Did you know 70% of people in Fenland now pay their Council Tax by Direct Debit? Direct Debit is easy, safe and reliable, with the protection of the Direct Debit guarantee.

Sign up for Direct Debit payments today to take the hassle out of paying Council Tax and ensure you never miss a payment.

Difficulty paying your Council Tax

If you're worried you aren't going to be able to pay your Council Tax, get in touch with us immediately.

We will offer advice and support: Contact us

Understanding your bill

Your Council Tax bill explains how much you owe and who receives the money. View more information about my bill.

Your Council Tax number is written at the top of your bill.

The amount you pay is based on a number of different reasons. This is why you might pay a different amount to your neighbours.

Paperless billing

Signing up for paperless billing (or eBilling) allows you to receive your council tax bill electronically and access services online at a time that is convenient for you.

Going paperless is better for the environment too and could help prevent up to 300kgs of carbon emissions per year by reducing postage requirements.

You can find out more and sign up for the service online .

Report a change

You must tell us if your circumstances change within one month of it happening. This also includes any change in circumstances of the people that live with you.

A change could affect the amount of Council Tax you pay. If you don't tell us about a change and you receive an overpayment of a discount or exemption, you will be responsible for paying it back and could face prosecution.

Some changes that may affect your Council Tax account could include:

You change address
Your property becomes empty or occupied
You change your name or contact details
Someone moves in or out of your property
A child turns 18
You are receiving a discount that may affect your Council Tax charge

Council Tax Reduction

Council Tax Reduction (CTR) is sometimes called Council Tax Support. It provides help for people on a low income.

A number of other discounts are available. These include:

Single Person Discount
Student, Student Nurses or Apprentice Discount
Second Adult Rebate
Disabled Person(s), Severe Mental Impairment or Carers Discount
British and Visiting Forces

Council Tax Appeals

You can appeal against your Council Tax, if (for example) you:

don't think you are liable
disagree with the amount of discount
believe your property should be exempt

Find out more information and how to make an appeal.

Reminders and Summonses

If you have a problem paying Council Tax, please contact us as soon as possible. We would rather work with you to settle bills without taking enforcement action.

Find out what happens if you miss a payment and how we recover unpaid Council Tax.

Fenland District Council are undertaking a pilot with government departments in order to reduce the current council tax debt and provide better support for vulnerable individuals. View the data sharing agreement (PDF) [1MB] and the Data Protection Impact Assessment (PDF) [9MB] .

New Builds and Completion Notices

A completion notice will be issued when we consider works on a newly built property, or a property that has been substantially restructured, are complete, or expected to be complete within three months.

The completion notice will be issued to the property owner. It specifies the completion day, which is when it becomes liable for Council Tax purposes. It is entered into the valuation list from this date.

Find out more information about Council Tax liability and how to disagree with the completion date.

Landlords

Find out when landlords are liable for Council Tax and if it is possible to claim discounts or exemptions.

How your Council Tax is spent

The money collected through Council Tax is divided between the organisations and authorities that provide local services. This includes education, social care, policing and rubbish collection.