Council Tax bands and charges

Bands

The amount of Council Tax you have to pay is based on your Council Tax band. The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) puts every domestic property into one of eight bands, from A to H. West Berkshire Council has no control over the band the VOA puts your property in.

Your Council Tax band is shown on your bill. You can also find your property's band using our Check Your Council Tax tool.
 

Charges

View charges for all parishes/towns in West Berkshire.
 

In 2025/26, West Berkshire Council has increased its bill by 2.99% and will also be applying a 2% Adult Social Care Precept - meaning a 4.99% overall increase. It will be this increase that is showing on your bill being attributed to the council.

Council Tax also includes charges for the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS). You can find out more on the Thames Valley PCC website and in the RBFRS Council Tax leaflet. 

You can see how we calculate your Council Tax bill. You can also find out about how the council's spends money.

Annual Council Tax bills are being delivered in March.

This years bill will explain how much Council Tax you will need to pay in 2025/26, as well as how much we will be collecting on behalf of the fire and police services, and your town or parish council.

Your bill is based on the account balance when the 2025/26 bills were prepared on Friday, 28 February 2025. Whilst the bills weren't dispatched until 11 March, any payments made after 28 February could not be included on the Annual Bill (this will include any instalments which were due on the 1st, 15th, 21st or 28th March).

You will still receive a bill even if your council tax is usually covered in full by benefits, an exemption or discounts, as we are required to provide you with a statement showing these have all been applied, even if you owe nothing to us.

Find out how you can pay your Council Tax, or if you're eligible for any Council Tax reduction, discounts or exemptions. You can also  Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service Council Tax leaflet 2025/26 [752KB] .

Challenging your band

If you believe that your Council Tax band is wrong, you can contact the Valuation Office Agency to challenge your band. You can see further details about challenging your Council Tax band on the GOV.UK website.

If you do challenge your band, you must continue to pay your Council Tax in the meantime. If your challenge is successful, you will be repaid any tax you have overpaid.