Council Tax and Budget FAQ

No. The average council tax in Neath Port Talbot is actually lower than the Welsh average. 

The confusion stems from the fact that by law council tax has to be set at band D level. All other bands are then worked out as a proportion of band D so for example a band A property will pay 6/9ths of the band D value. Whilst Neath Port Talbot may have the third highest band D council tax rate in Wales, in reality the average council tax is less because 80% of properties in Neath Port Talbot are within Bands A-C.

Also, out of a total of 66,000 households in Neath Port Talbot, 15,500 receive council tax support – approximately 12,500 pay no council tax and the remainder only pay a partial amount. Council tax support is means tested which means those who need it most receive it.  

In England, the band a property falls into is based on 1991 values and the top band H in England begins at a value of £320,000. So someone who lives in a Band A studio flat in Marylebone in central London valued at £40,000 in 1991 but now worth about £950,000 will pay just over £520 a year.

In Wales, revised property values were introduced in 2003. It has been an ongoing issue for a number of years and elected Members have continued to lobby the Welsh Government to address it. We are pleased to see that council tax reform is included in the ‘Co-operation Agreement’; to reform one of the most regressive forms of taxation, which disproportionately affects poorer areas of Wales.

Council tax is charged to the household. It is based on the value of the property and not on what the household earns. So, the amount of council tax you pay depends on which property band your home is in. Check your council tax band.

The council tax you pay is not calculated on the basis of which services you actually receive or use, but it contributes to the budget the council needs to provide hundreds of different services to the residents of the county borough. Your council tax contributes around 23.5% to the total council budget. Find out more how the council budget is made up.

Some of these services are highly visible, such as waste collection, road maintenance, libraries and schools. Other services often go unseen, such as providing foster care for children, caring for older and vulnerable people, carrying out food hygiene inspections, a contribution to the Mid & West Wales Fire Service, and providing education for children with special needs.

You can see where your council tax goes.