What is Council Tax?

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Contact Details
What is Council Tax?
How is the Council Tax calculated?
What are the Property Bands?
Discounts and Exemptions
How you can pay your Council Tax

Contact Details

If you wish to visit, the reception at Castle View is open from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 9.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. on Friday.

If you need to write to us, please send your letter to the address below marked for the attention of the Council Tax Section.

Oswestry Borough Council
Castle View Annexe
34 Arthur Street
Oswestry
Shropshire
SY11 1JR

Tel: 01691 677320
Email: counciltax@oswestry-bc.gov.uk

Council Tax was introduced in April 1993 as a replacement for the Community Charge (poll tax). Each household in the Borough has a liability for Council Tax to help pay for services provided by Shropshire County Council, West Mercia Police Authority, Oswestry Borough Council and your Parish Council (or Oswestry Town Council if you live in Oswestry). Details of the services provided by all the above authorities are shown in the leaflets included with your Council Tax bill each year.

FAIR PROCESSING STATEMENT - This Authority is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end may use the information you have provided for the prevention and detection of fraud. It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public finds for these purposes.

How is the Council Tax calculated?

Each of the authorities above sets a budget and uses this to calculate how much each household needs to pay so that it can deliver its services. These charges are then added together and set according to the property band.

What are the Property Bands?

Properties are put into a band according to the value it would have fetched on the open market as at 1st April 1991. This work is undertaken by the Valuation Office; which is a Government Agency and part of the Inland Revenue.

The band values are as follows:

A		Up to £40,000
B	£40,001	To £52,000
C	£52,001	To £68,000
D	£68,001	To £88,000
E	£88,001	To £120,000
F	£120,001	To £160,000
G	£160,001	To £320,000
H	Over £320,001

Please note that the band for your property will be shown on your council tax bill.

Alternatively, you can use our Self Service module to find out what band your property falls under, and check your account online.

How you can pay your Council Tax

Direct Debit - this is the easiest way to pay - simply ring the Council Tax section for a direct debit form using the details below.
By Cheque - you can pay at the Council office (see paying your bills web page for details of office opening times)
Debit card payment - you can pay by this method at the Council and by telephone
Click here for a list of outlets where you can pay. Cheques are ONLY accepted at the Post Office at their discretion - all other outlets will ONLY accept Cash or Debit Card.
Or Pay Online on our website