Understanding your Council Tax bill

This image shows an example of the Council Tax bill we'll send you each year, or if there are changes to your Council Tax account during the year. You can find information about each part of the bill in the numbered sections below the image. 

1)       This shows the year the bill is for. We work in "financial years" so this will go across two calendar years.

2)       This is the name of the person(s) or company responsible for paying this bill and the address we sent the bill to.

3)       This is your Council Tax account number. Try to have this number with you if you need to contact us about your Council Tax account or when making a payment.

4)       This is the date we printed this bill.

5)       The 'allpay' barcode allows you to make payments towards your bill at the Post Office or PayPoint outlets.

6)       This shows the property that this bill is for if it differs from the details in figure 2.

7)       Any other people liable for Council Tax at the property will be shown here, for example a person you live with as your partner or a joint tenant.

8)       This is the Council Tax band for your property.

9)       This shows how the money collected from your bill is split between services. For a summary of how your money is allocated, please see the factsheets at boston.gov.uk/CouncilTaxSpend

10)   This shows if your Council Tax has changed compared to the previous year, and for which service. For a detailed summary of how this is calculated, including Adult Social Care please visit boston.gov.uk/CouncilTaxSpend

11)   This is the amount you owe before any discounts, exemptions, or Council Tax Support have been applied.

12)   Any discounts, exemptions, or Council Tax Support applied to your bill are shown here. Details of reductions available can be found at boston.gov.uk/CouncilTaxReductions

13)   This is the total amount of Council Tax you need to pay for the year.

14)   This section shows your instalments for the year and the dates we need to receive your payments by.  If you do not pay by Direct Debit, be sure to make your payments on time to avoid getting a reminder or losing your future instalments. 

15)   This confirms your payment method. Direct Debit is the easiest way to pay but other ways to pay your charge can be found on the back of your bill.

16)   Any important notes relevant to your account, such as if you have an amount owing for a previous year, can be found here.

17)   This is the reason we sent you this bill. Bills are sent at the start of each tax year or if there is a change to your Council Tax account during the year.