Step-by-step Council Tax setup

Most homes have to pay Council Tax unless they are exempt. The property may be exempt from the full charge but must be registered for Council Tax so we know who lives there.

Each property usually has one person aged 18 or over who is responsible or ‘liable’ for the account, such as paying the bill or notifying us of any changes. Find out more information about who is responsible for Council Tax.

Register for Council Tax

If only one person aged 18 years old or over lives in the property or the other person(s) in the household are on the exemption list, you can apply for Single Person Discount at the end of the form. Please see the full list of discounts, exemptions and reductions.

Once you have registered, a bill will be sent within 10 working days. One bill is sent to the address regardless of how many people live there.

The bill will show your Council Tax account number in the top left corner, your Council Tax band and a breakdown of your payments for the current tax year.

When it arrives, please check the following are correct:

• Names of person(s) who are responsible or 'liable' for the account
• Address of the property subject to Council Tax
• Discounts, exemptions and reductions have been applied (if awarded)
• Total amount you owe
• Instalment dates and amounts
• Your payment method

If you need help understanding your Council Tax bill, you can visit our webpage which explains each section of the bill.

If you believe that you should be receiving a discount, exemption or reduction, please see Step 4.

Remember: If you apply to claim a discount after receiving a bill, you will still have to pay the full amount on your bill until we make a decision. If we do award you the discount, you will receive an amended bill 15 working days after applying.

Once you have received your bill from us, if you wish to pay by another method (such as Direct Debit) please go to ways to pay your Council Tax and select which best suits your circumstances. Your Council Tax account number can be found on the top left-hand side of your bill.

If your bill does not show discounts, exemptions or reductions that you believe you are eligible for, such as student exemption or Single Person Discount, you can view and apply for discounts, exemptions, and reductions online.

Remember: If you apply to claim a discount after receiving a bill, you will still have to pay the full amount on your bill until we make a decision on your claim. If we do award you the discount, you will receive an amended bill 15 working days after applying.

An online account is the easiest way to view information and make changes to your details. This means you can:

• Access your Council Tax, business rates or housing benefit account at any time
• View bills, check your balance and view previous payments
• Request payment by or amend an existing Direct Debit
• Notify us of a change of address
• Sign up for paperless billing
• Make an arrangement to pay

Find out how to set-up an online account. 

You will need to let us know about any changes that affect your Council Tax account such as household details, address or circumstances as soon as possible so we can make sure your account is up to date.

Changes include, but are not limited to:

• Changes to the number and/or names of person(s) ‘liable’ for Council Tax
• Moving to a new property, either within or out of Southampton
• Changes to your circumstances that could affect your payments
• Cancelling discounts or exemptions

Once we have all your details we will post you your new Council Tax bill or change your account. This may take up to 10 working days.

If you have any questions or issues, please contact us.