Wandsworth charges £1,028 a year for a Band D property. Dorset charges £2,765 for the identical band. Same country, same national banding system, a gap of over £1,700 for what is, on paper, the same category of home — which tells you almost everything about why "council tax by band" is only half the question.
Two numbers, not one
Your bill comes from two entirely separate inputs: your property's valuation band (A through H, fixed nationally, based on 1991 property values in England and Scotland, 2003 in Wales) and your local authority's own rate, set individually by each council to fund social care, waste collection, police, and fire services. The band never changes based on where you live. The rate is set locally and varies enormously.
Why the gap is so large
England's average Band D bill for 2026/27 is £2,392 — but that average sits comfortably in the middle of a genuinely wide spread, from Wandsworth's £1,028 up to Dorset's £2,765. London boroughs typically land toward the cheaper end, partly because they retain a larger share of local business rates revenue; shire and rural areas cluster higher. Most councils this year applied close to the maximum 4.99% increase permitted without triggering a local referendum (a 2.99% core rise plus a 2% adult social care precept) — which is exactly why so many bills moved by a similar percentage even though the underlying pound amounts differ wildly by area.
Finding your actual number
- Look up your council tax band via postcode on the Valuation Office Agency (England and Wales) or Scottish Assessors (Scotland) site.
- Find your specific local authority's current published Band D rate — every council sets its own.
- Multiply that rate by your band's ratio (below) to get your annual bill, before discounts.
Band ratios (apply to any council's Band D rate)
| Band | Ratio to Band D |
|---|---|
| A | 6/9 |
| B | 7/9 |
| C | 8/9 |
| D | 9/9 (baseline) |
| E | 11/9 |
| F | 13/9 |
| G | 15/9 |
| H | 18/9 |
These ratios stay fixed nationwide — what actually changes by council is the Band D figure you're multiplying them against.
A high-value surcharge is on its way
Worth watching if you're anywhere near the top of the property market: a new High Value Council Tax Surcharge on homes worth £2 million or more is currently under government consultation, expected to take effect from April 2028. It's not law yet, and details could still shift, but it's a real, dated proposal rather than speculation — the kind of thing worth tracking if it applies to you.
Moving resets everything
Notify both your old and new council when you move. Your bill starts fresh under the new council's rates and your new property's band — there's no carryover of your previous rate, even moving somewhere in the same region.
A few things people actually ask
Why does council tax vary so much between councils for the same band?
Because the band itself is fixed nationally, but each local authority sets its own rate independently to fund its own budget — the gap between the cheapest and priciest English councils runs over £1,700 for an identical Band D property.
Why do so many councils raise rates by roughly the same percentage each year?
Most stay close to the maximum 4.99% increase allowed without triggering a local referendum — a 2.99% core rise plus a 2% adult social care precept — which clusters percentage increases even though the underlying pound amounts differ wildly by area.
Is a new tax coming for expensive homes?
A High Value Council Tax Surcharge on homes worth £2 million or more is currently under government consultation, expected from April 2028 if it proceeds — not law yet, but a real, dated proposal worth tracking.