You can check your Council Tax band on GOV.UK. It will also be shown on your Council Tax bill.
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 1 bill per dwelling. Each dwelling has been placed into one of 8 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 sold for 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.
Bands and charges
Normally a referendum is required if a council is increasing Council Tax by more than 4.99%, but the government have allowed a number of councils to increase by a higher amount without the need for a referendum. The official confirmation is available on GOV.UK. We have increased Council Tax for 2026 to 2027 by 6.74%. All Council Tax bills show the increase to 1 decimal point. The amount you pay depends on which parish you reside in.
Unparished areas for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
| Band | BCP Council (£) | Police (£) | Fire (£) | Total (£) | Proportion of Band D |
| Band A | 1,320.31 | 215.05 | 64.63 | 1,599.99 | 6/9 |
| Band B | 1,540.36 | 250.90 | 75.41 | 1,866.67 | 7/9 |
| Band C | 1,760.41 | 286.74 | 86.18 | 2,133.33 | 8/9 |
| Band D | 1,980.46 | 322.58 | 96.95 | 2,399.99 | 9/9 |
| Band E | 2,420.56 | 394.26 | 118.49 | 2,933.31 | 11/9 |
| Band F | 2,860.66 | 465.95 | 140.04 | 3,466.65 | 13/9 |
| Band G | 3,300.77 | 537.63 | 161.58 | 3,999.98 | 15/9 |
| Band H | 3,960.92 | 645.16 | 193.90 | 4,799.98 | 18/9 |
Parish charges
| Location | Band A £ | Band B £ | Band C £ | Band D £ | Band E £ | Band F £ | Band G £ | Band H £ |
| Bournemouth Town | 19.65 | 22.92 | 26.20 | 29.47 | 36.02 | 42.57 | 49.12 | 58.94 |
| Broadstone | 40.23 | 46.93 | 53.64 | 60.34 | 73.75 | 87.16 | 100.57 | 120.68 |
| Burton and Winkton | 12.28 | 14.33 | 16.37 | 18.42 | 22.51 | 26.61 | 30.70 | 36.84 |
| Christchurch Town | 49.63 | 57.90 | 66.17 | 74.44 | 90.98 | 107.52 | 124.07 | 148.88 |
| Highcliffe and Walkford | 22.51 | 26.26 | 30.01 | 33.76 | 41.26 | 48.76 | 56.27 | 67.52 |
| Hurn | 24.31 | 28.36 | 32.41 | 36.46 | 44.56 | 52.66 | 60.77 | 72.92 |
| Poole Town | 21.71 | 25.32 | 28.94 | 32.56 | 39.80 | 47.03 | 54.27 | 65.12 |
| Throop and Holdenhurst | 26.47 | 30.88 | 35.29 | 39.70 | 48.52 | 57.34 | 66.17 | 79.40 |
Council Tax and Parish charges
| Location | Band A £ | Band B £ | Band C £ | Band D £ | Band E £ | Band F £ | Band G £ | Band H £ |
| Bournemouth Town | 1,619.64 | 1,889.59 | 2,159.53 | 2,429.46 | 2,969.33 | 3,509.22 | 4,049.10 | 4,858.92 |
| Broadstone | 1,640.22 | 1,913.60 | 2,186.97 | 2,460.33 | 3,007.06 | 3,553.81 | 4,100.55 | 4,920.66 |
| Burton and Winkton | 1,612.27 | 1,881.00 | 2,149.70 | 2,418.41 | 2,955.82 | 3,493.26 | 4,030.68 | 4,836.82 |
| Christchurch Town | 1,649.62 | 1,924.57 | 2,199.50 | 2,474.43 | 3,024.29 | 3,574.17 | 4,124.05 | 4,948.86 |
| Highcliffe and Walkford | 1,622.50 | 1,892.93 | 2,163.34 | 2,433.75 | 2,974.57 | 3,515.41 | 4,056.25 | 4,867.50 |
| Hurn | 1,624.30 | 1,895.03 | 2,165.74 | 2,436.45 | 2,977.87 | 3,519.31 | 4,060.75 | 4,872.90 |
| Poole Town | 1,621.70 | 1,891.99 | 2,162.27 | 2,432.55 | 2,973.11 | 3,513.68 | 4,054.25 | 4,865.10 |
| Throop and Holdenhurst | 1,626.46 | 1,897.55 | 2,168.62 | 2,439.69 | 2,981.83 | 3,523.99 | 4,066.15 | 4,879.38 |
Appeal your Council Tax band
If you think the band of your property is wrong, you can appeal if:
- you're the new owner of the property 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 decides the Council Tax bands for all domestic properties. You can challenge your Council Tax band online.
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.