how often do you pay council tax

You normally pay council tax once a month , spread over most of the financial year, but there is some flexibility in how often and when you pay.

Standard payment pattern

• Most councils bill you annually around March/April for the tax year April–March.
• By default, the bill is usually split into 10 monthly instalments , typically from April to January.
• You can usually ask to spread it over 12 monthly instalments (April–March) instead, which makes each payment smaller but means you pay every month of the year.

Other ways you can pay

Many councils will also let you:

• Pay once a year in a single lump sum at the start of the year.
• Pay twice a year (for example, April and October).
• In some areas, arrange weekly or fortnightly payments if that suits your budget better.

So the short version is: council tax is “officially” an annual charge, but in practice most people pay it monthly , with the option to choose a different schedule (10 months, 12 months, or occasional lump sums) if you ask your council.