Council Tax bill – how we work it out
You can download this guide, which explains the breakdown of a typical Council Tax bill (PDF, view in browser or download).
The front of your Council Tax bill lists all the charges that make up your total amount. Your charges will vary depending on your property’s valuation band and the town or parish you live in.
Example: Band D charges
| Organisation | Annual charge | Percentage change from last year |
|---|---|---|
| Central Bedfordshire Council | £1,931.54 | +5.0% |
| Police and Crime Commissioner | £297.59 | +6.6% |
| Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service | £122.72 | +4.2% |
| Local town or parish council (example: Shefford Town Council) | £160.05 | +3.8% |
| Total annual charge | £2,511.90 | +5.1% |
An adult social care precept is included within the Central Bedfordshire Council charge as a single figure and percentage change.
These are the steps we take to work out your Council Tax bill:
- We work out how much money we need to raise from Council Tax – see our planned spending for 2026-2027.
- We divide the cost between all the properties in Central Bedfordshire – this is based on everyone paying the same (a Band D rate).
- We calculate how much should be paid for your individual property – this depends on your Council Tax band, and assumes that the property is occupied by at least 2 adults.
- We add on the amount you have to pay for Police and Fire service charges and your town or parish council – they work out their budgets separately, but the amount you pay still depends on your Council Tax band. You can also view the town and parish council precept.
- We apply any Council Tax Support or discounts you are entitled to, or add an extra charge if your property is long-term empty.
We then calculate how much your instalments will be – this depends on your instalment plan, but standard Council Tax instalments are spread over a 10-month period, due on the 5th of each month from April to January.
The easiest way to pay your bill is by Direct Debit – find out how to set this up, along with other payment methods available to pay your Council Tax.
How we use your Council Tax
This charge pays for services provided by Central Bedfordshire Council. A proportion of your Council Tax is ringfenced to fund adult social care. Adult social care is also partly funded through the non-ringfenced Council Tax charge.
For 2026 to 2027, the Central Bedfordshire Council portion of your Council Tax has increased by 4.99%, and 2% of this increase is specifically to support adult social care.
You can read more about our services in Info Central.
Charges set by other organisations
We collect Council Tax on behalf of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, and your local town or parish council. These organisations decide their own charges and increases. We do not have control over how much they charge.
About the adult social care precept
The government allows councils with adult social care responsibilities to add an adult social care precept to Council Tax. This precept can be added without holding a referendum. The aim is to help councils meet rising adult social care costs.