Wednesday 23rd August 2023

At RIFT, we've conducted an in-depth analysis of council tax collections in England, covering the most recent financial year. The results reveal that local councils across the country collected a total of £36.5bn in council tax during this period. This marks a moderate increase of 5.6% compared to the previous year, resulting in an additional £2bn collected compared to 2021-22. This pattern of growth has been consistent over the entire Millennium, with annual increases in the total sum of council tax collected since 2000-01. 

Our research at RIFT delved into council tax receipts data from the start of the Millennium to date, shedding light on how these figures have evolved over time and identifying regions that experienced notable annual changes. 

On a national scale, Buckinghamshire emerges as the region with the highest council tax payments during the last year, with a total of £476.8 million collected in 2022-23. Other notable contributors include Birmingham (£449.8 million), Leeds (£433.9 million), Cornwall (£428.2 million), and Wiltshire (£401.8 million), ranking among the top five regions. 

Hackney is notable for its substantial year-on-year increase of 52% in total council tax receipts, reflecting an annual growth of £45.1 million. Other regions demonstrating similar upward trends include Durham (+11%), Tendring (+11%), Tandridge (+11%), and Fareham (+10%).