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Council tax bills for 2025/26 have now been sent out. You may have received yours, but if not it will be arriving soon. Below is all the information you need around how to pay your bill, where your money goes and what support is available.
How much Council Tax am I paying for 2025/26?
The amount of Council Tax you pay depends on what band the property is, and where it is located.
You can find out what Council Tax band your property is in on the GOV.UK website: www.gov.uk/council-tax-bands
For a Band D property, the total bill for 2025/26 will be £2,142.04, excluding parish or town council charges.
This is collected by us and then distributed between the following organisations:
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Hampshire County Council - £1,609.83, an increase of £76.59 from 2024/25 (5.0%)
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Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire - £275.46 an increase of £14.00 from 2024/25 (5.4%)
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Test Valley Borough Council - £168.91, an increase of £5.00 from 2024/25 (3.1%)
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Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service - £87.84, an increase of £5.00 from 2024/25 (6.0%)
 
What is Council Tax and what does it pay for in Test Valley?
Council Tax is a charge households pay to their local council.
Each organisation has different responsibilities for providing public services. Council Tax helps to fund hundreds of local services.
The money you pay to Test Valley Borough Council funds the services we provide.
Our services are also funded by business rates, government support and income generated from service charges and investments.
We provide a range of several local services, including:
- supporting people at risk of becoming homeless
- planning permissions for new and existing properties
- waste and recycling collections
- town centre regeneration projects
- housing advice and support
- support for local businesses and town centres
- food hygiene inspections
- street cleaning
- countryside management including nature reserves
- managing council car parks
- pest control
- election and democracy services
How can I pay my Council Tax?
You can pay your Council Tax in a number of ways:
- by direct debit
- debit card
- telephone banking or standing order
- by post via a cheque
- at a post office or pay point outlet (if you have registered for this service with the council)
Find out more about the options available to you when paying your Council Tax: www.testvalley.gov.uk/benefitsandcounciltax/counciltax/paying-bill
Did you know that you can receive your Council Tax bills by email and manage your Council Tax account online?
Using our online facilities you can notify us of a change of address, set up or amend direct debit instructions and apply for, or cancel, a single person discount. To register for paperless billing you will need your account reference and online key, both of which are shown on the front of your latest bill.
What support is available if I'm struggling to pay my Council Tax?
From 1 April 2025, we are launching a new council tax support scheme to help some working-age households with lower incomes to pay their council tax.
Residents will be able to easily see what support they are eligible for, as the new scheme is based on a range of income bands. What band you are in depends on how much the household earns and how many people live there, which determines how much support is available.
Most households will receive the same or more support under the new scheme, but a discretionary fund has also been set up to provide further support to residents who experience exceptional financial hardship in paying their council tax.
No changes have been made to pension-age households.
For more information about the support available please click the button below.
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