Council Tax is a tax you pay to your local council, so that – depending on which type of council they are – they can deliver services like:
The table below depicts examples of some of the services managed by Ipswich, and comparable services run by Suffolk County Council. It intends to illustrate the differences in responsibilities that the two councils have. Your Council Tax will payments may go towards any of these services.
| Examples of local services managed by Ipswich Borough Council | Examples of comparable local services managed by Suffolk County Council |
|---|---|
| Rubbish and recycling collections, and clearing fly-tipping on public land | Waste disposal (disposal of household waste, and the management of recycling centres) |
| Street cleansing and mechanical sweeping | Street lighting, traffic signals and pedestrian crossings |
| Planning applications | Planning applications for mineral developments (for example, quarrying) |
Usually, you will have to pay Council Tax if you are aged 18 or over, and own or rent a home.
How much you pay will depend on two things:
Your Council Tax bill will provide a breakdown of who your money will be paid to. In Ipswich your Tax payment will be split between:
Your home has been allocated a band (A-H) according to its market value on 1 April 1991. The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is responsible for Council Tax banding, so you will need to contact them if you disagree with your band.
Check your Council Tax band via the VOA’s online service.
You can also use the same online service to challenge your band. You are only able to make a challenge if you have been the Council Tax payer for less than six months.
You will also need to provide evidence that supports your challenge.
The table below presents the increase in Council Tax that people who live in Ipswich will pay in 2024/25, compared to the amount paid in 2023/24.
The first column presents the authorities who each receive a portion of your Council Tax. Your bill may also show an amount that you pay to your local town or parish council, if you have one.
The middle column presents the increase (as a percentage) in the amount you will pay to each authority in 2024/25.
The final column presents what these increases will equate to, each week, for a Council Tax Band B property in Ipswich.
| Name of authority | Percentage increase in 2024/25 | Weekly increase for people who pay Council Tax on a Band B property |
|---|---|---|
| Ipswich Borough Council | 2.98% | 18p |
| Suffolk County Council | 4.99% (2% for adult social care, 2.99% for general Council Tax) | £1.12 |
| Police and Crime Commissioner | 4.93% | 19p |
For more information about your Council Tax bill, please visit our Council Tax Information webpage. The documents linked to from this webpage provide further information about changes to your Council Tax bill.
You will also be able to access information about Council Tax charged in 2024/25.
If you pay your Council Tax bill by direct debit, and your bill has increased, you do not need to do anything. Your direct debit payments will be automatically adjusted.
Council Tax can be paid once a year, in two half yearly instalments or in ten monthly instalments. Most people pay for their Council Tax in ten monthly instalments.
If you would like to split your payments further, you are also able to pay for your Council Tax in twelve monthly instalments. To arrange this, please complete our Council Tax enquiry form.
The easiest way to pay Council Tax is via direct debit.
Customers who live in Ipswich can choose to set their direct debit to be paid on the 1st, 8th, 15th or 22nd of each month.
Set up a direct debit to pay Council Tax in Ipswich
If you already pay by direct debit and you would like to change the date that your payment is taken on, you will need to contact us.
You can pay your Council Tax bill online, with a debit or credit card. There are no surcharges for using this service.
Customers who live in Ipswich can use their service. You will need to quote your Council Tax account reference number when you pay. This information is printed towards the top right-hand corner of your Council Tax bill.
If you are a Ipswich resident, your account reference number will be eight digits long and will start with the number ‘3’.
Every year, we produce a guide to Council Tax bills in Ipswich. These are mockup bills that customers can use to better understand the structure of their bill – and where to find different pieces of information. Access the guides via our Council Tax Charges Webpage.
You can also pay Council Tax:
over the phone (via our 24-hour automated service). Access this service by calling 01473 432000 and selecting Option 1
by bank transfer or standing order
at a Post Office or Paypoint
For further information about these methods of paying, please access the Pay Council Tax page.
There is a lot of support available to help people who may face difficulties in paying their Council Tax bill.
Ipswich operate a Council Tax reduction (CTR) scheme. You may receive CTR if you are on a low income (even if you are working). CTR is not a payment, but a reduction to your bill total.
Whether you qualify for CTR – and how much reduction you may be awarded – will depend on:
If you qualify, you can submit a CTR claim online. The claim does not have to be made in one single session.
When you make a claim, we will let you know what evidence you will need to provide. Examples of evidence you might need to include are:
Discretionary Financial Assistance (DFA) is a payment made to you by the Councils, that you can use to reduce your Council Tax bill. DFA is intended to help people who are experiencing a short-term, exceptional financial problem. These payments come from a limited fund every year and are almost always ‘one-off’ payments.
DFA can be paid to anyone who pays Council Tax – this is regardless of whether the customer receives Council Tax Reduction or any other type of exemption or discount.
We independently review every DFA request. We will look at things like:
Generally, when an exemption applies – no Council Tax will need to be paid.
If an exemption doesn’t apply, you may qualify for a discount (or disregard). Qualifying for either would mean that you receive a reduction on your bill. Sometimes, exemptions and discounts can be backdated.
Exemptions can be split into two categories – people-based exemptions and property-based exemptions.
In some cases, people who have a disregard may qualify for an exemption. An example of this is where everyone who lives in a property is a full-time student.
Every situation is individual. The Councils will be able to tell you about any discounts, exemptions or other financial support that you may be entitled to.
For information about the reductions, exemptions, discounts and other support we can provide, please visit the Exemptions, discounts and premiums section of our website.
Our customers can set up an online account (called a ‘MyAccount’) to manage their Council Tax online. You will need your latest Council Tax bill to hand. You will need to quote your Council Tax account reference number. This information is printed towards the top right-hand corner of your Council Tax bill.
If you are a Ipswich resident, your account reference number will be eight digits long and will start with the number ‘3’.
Every year, we produce a guide to Council Tax bills in Ipswich. These are mockup bills that customers can use to better understand the structure of their bill – and where to find different pieces of information. Access the guides via our Council Tax Charges webpage.
Register for an online Council Tax account
If two attempts have been made to take your direct debit payment – and both have failed – no further attempt will be made. If this has happened to you, you will need to set up your direct debit again.
Please refer to Set up a direct debit for information about how to do this.
I have moved house, or am about to move
If you have moved house – within the districts, or out of them – you can tell us about this change online. You do not need an online account to do this.
Change my address (Ipswich residents)
When accessing the relevant link above, scroll down on the page to the heading ‘Tell us that you have moved home’.
Under ‘View change of address services’, you will be presented with the following options:
| Option | Select this option if... |
|---|---|
| I am moving within Ipswich Borough Council’s area | You are moving house within the borough you currently live in |
| I am moving out of Ipswich Borough Council’s area | You are moving house outside of the borough you currently live in |
| I am moving into / I am new to Ipswich Borough Council’s area | You are moving to the district of Ipswich for the first time (you can also select this option if you have previously lived within either district, but moved away) |
| I am moving to live with parents/family or friends where I will not be liable for Council Tax | You are moving in with family or friends (or other) who live in Ipswich, but you will not personally be liable for Council Tax |
| I am moving to live in a property where I only pay rent and have a tenancy or licence for the part of the property (a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO)) | You are moving into a HMO where you will not personally be liable for Council Tax. An HMO is a house rented by at least three people - who are not from one ‘household’ - who share living areas (for example, the kitchen) |
If you are moving house within either district and you currently receive Council Tax Reduction, you will also need to complete our online change in circumstances form.
There are two ways you can tell us about a name change.
If you have an online account, you are able to change your name by logging in to it and updating your personal details.
If you do not have an online account, you need to notify us of a name change by phoning us. Phone 01473 432000 and select Option 1 to speak with a customer service advisor about Council Tax, Housing Benefit or housing rents.
If you are moving home, please refer to I have moved house, or am about to move.
If you have changed your name, please refer to I have changed my name.
If you need to report another change in circumstances – which may affect any Council Tax Reduction you currently receive – you need to tell us straightaway. We will need the changes in writing (via our online form, or by post).
If we don’t learn of a change in circumstances within 21 days, we may impose a fine of £70.
Report a change in circumstances (online form)
You do not need to complete the form in one sitting. When you open the form, you will be provided with a form reference (a 12 character code that is made up of letters and numbers). If you wish to return to the form later, you will be able to access it via your form reference.
Examples of things you need to report are:
Examples of evidence you might need to provide are:
When submitting evidence online, you will need to quote your claim reference number. This will be seven digits long.
When you report a relevant change and your claim has been accepted and registered on the system, we will provide you with a claim reference number. This can take up to four weeks from original submission.
For further information, please visit our Report a change webpage.
Once a death has been registered with Suffolk County Council, you will be able to use the government’s ‘Tell Us Once’ service. Once you have provided this service with the relevant information, it will notify:
about the death. You will not need to do anything else or contact us directly – we will update our records (including Council Tax information) as appropriate.
The registrar who registers the death will tell you how to access Tell Us Once (they will also give you a unique reference number).
When you receive your unique reference number, you must use Tell Us Once within 28 days.
Visit our Register a death webpage for more information.
Read further information about the Tell Us Once service (from GOV.UK)
If you cannot find the information you need, please contact us for further assistance.
Telephone: 01473 432000
Our phone lines are open Monday to Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm: 01473 432000 (excluding Bank Holidays).
Online: Contact us
If you would like:
GOV.UK have also produced a plain English guide to Council Tax, which provides a broad overview of information.
Council Tax,
Ipswich Borough Council,
1W Grafton House,
15-17 Russell Road,
Ipswich,
IP1 2DE
01473 432000
