The Valuation Office places all properties into a valuation band. The amount of Council Tax you pay depends upon your property band.
Most dwellings (whether rented or owned, lived in or not) are subject to Council Tax.
There is one bill per dwelling. Each dwelling has been placed into one of eight bands by the Listing Officer of the Valuation Office Agency according to its open market capital value on 1 April 1991.
| Valuation Band | Range of values |
|---|---|
| A | Up to and including £40,000 |
| B | £40,001 - £52,000 |
| C | £52,001 - £68,000 |
| D | £68,001 - £88,000 |
| E | £88,001 - £120,000 |
| F | £120,001 - £160,000 |
| G | £160,001 - £320,000 |
| H | More than £320,000 |
All Council Tax valuations are based on the price a dwelling would have fetched if it had been sold on 1 April 1991, subject to certain assumptions. Any increase or fall in a dwelling's value because of general changes in the housing market since then will not affect its valuation.
You can check your Council Tax band on the central Government website. It will also be shown on your Council Tax bill.
Bands and charges
The amount you pay also depends on whether you live in a parished area, or if you contribute to the Bournemouth or Poole Charter Trustees. If you live in either of these, your full Council Tax amount will be higher as you will be contributing towards your parish council services or to the Charter Trustees.
Unparished areas for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
| Band | BCP Council (£) | Police (£) | Fire (£) | Total (£) | Proportion of Band D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band A |
1,178.15 |
195.72 |
57.97 |
1,431.84 |
6/9 |
| Band B |
1,374.51 |
228.34 |
67.63 |
1,670.48 |
7/9 |
| Band C |
1,570.86 |
260.96 |
77.29 |
1,909.11 |
8/9 |
| Band D |
1,767.22 |
293.58 |
86.95 |
2,147.75 |
9/9 |
| Band E |
2,159.93 |
358.82 |
106.27 |
2,625.02 |
11/9 |
| Band F |
2,552.65 |
424.06 |
125.59 |
3,102.30 |
13/9 |
| Band G |
2,945.37 |
489.30 |
144.92 |
3,579.59 |
15/9 |
| Band H |
3,534.44 |
587.16 |
173.90 |
4,295.50 |
18/9 |
Parish and Charter Trustees charges
| Location | Band A £ | Band B £ | Band C £ | Band D £ | Band E £ | Band F £ | Band G £ | Band H £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bournemouth Charter Trustees |
1.51 |
1.77 |
2.02 |
2.27 |
2.77 |
3.28 |
3.78 |
4.54 |
| Bournemouth - Throop and Holdenhurst |
26.54 |
30.96 |
35.39 |
39.81 |
48.66 |
57.50 |
66.35 |
79.62 |
| Christchurch Town |
46.82 |
54.62 |
62.43 |
70.23 |
85.84 |
101.44 |
117.05 |
140.46 |
| Burton Parish |
11.50 |
13.42 |
15.33 |
17.25 |
21.08 |
24.92 |
28.75 |
34.50 |
| Hurn Parish |
22.37 |
26.09 |
29.82 |
33.55 |
41.01 |
48.46 |
55.92 |
67.10 |
| Highcliffe and Walkford |
18.31 |
21.36 |
24.41 |
27.46 |
33.56 |
39.66 |
45.77 |
54.92 |
| Poole Charter Trustees |
1.43 |
1.66 |
1.90 |
2.14 |
2.62 |
3.09 |
3.57 |
4.28 |
Council Tax and Parish Charter Trustees charges
| Location | Band A £ | Band B £ | Band C £ | Band D £ | Band E £ | Band F £ | Band G £ | Band H £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bournemouth Charter Trustees |
1,433.35 |
1,672.25 |
1,911.13 |
2,150.02 |
2,627.79 |
3,105.58 |
3,583.37 |
4,300.04 |
| Bournemouth - Throop and Holdenhurst |
1,458.38 |
1,701.44 |
1,944.50 |
2,187.56 |
2,673.68 |
3,159.80 |
3,645.94 |
4,375.12 |
| Christchurch Town |
1,478.66 |
1,725.10 |
1,971.54 |
2,217.98 |
2,710.86 |
3,203.74 |
3,696.64 |
4,435.96 |
| Burton Parish |
1,443.34 |
1,683.90 |
1,924.44 |
2,165.00 |
2,646.10 |
3,127.22 |
3,608.34 |
4,330.00 |
| Hurn Parish |
1,454.21 |
1,696.57 |
1,938.93 |
2,181.30 |
2,666.03 |
3,150.76 |
3,635.51 |
4,362.60 |
| Highcliffe and Walkford |
1,450.15 |
1,691.84 |
1,933.52 |
2,175.21 |
2,658.58 |
3,141.96 |
3,625.36 |
4,350.42 |
| Poole Charter Trustees |
1,433.27 |
1,672.14 |
1,911.01 |
2,149.89 |
2,627.64 |
3,105.39 |
3,583.16 |
4,299.78 |
If you’re moving home, you will need to tell us about your change in circumstances, including change of address.
Appeals to the Valuation Office Agency
If you think the band of your property is wrong, you can appeal if:
- you're the new owner of the dwelling and no appeal has previously been made based on the same facts; you must make an appeal within 6 months of becoming the tax payer
- there has been a material reduction to the value of your property, for example part of it has been demolished
- the Listing Officer has changed the band; this might happen when a property is sold, and the previous owner added an extension
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) decides the Council Tax bands for all domestic properties in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area. You can ask them to check your Council Tax Band or challenge your Council Tax band.
If you appeal, you must continue to pay your Council Tax until your appeal is decided. If you make a successful appeal, any money you have overpaid will be refunded to you.
Any appeal should be made in writing to the Listing Officer at Valuation Office Agency:
- email: ctonline@voa.gov.uk
- phone: 03000 501 501