Council Tax

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• I can't afford to pay my Council Tax

  If you find yourself in a position where you owe money to us and cannot pay, do not just ignore the problem. Get in touch with us so that we can work out a plan to deal with the matter.

  Although we may not be able to simply write off a debt, we may, for instance, be able to agree easier payment terms until your circumstances improve.

  Our specialist officers may also be able to tell you about other benefits and concessions to which you may be entitled - and even help you fill in the application forms if you would like us to do so.

  Contact us

  Council Tax telephone helpline: 01442 228000
  Email: council.tax@dacorum.gov.uk
  Address:
  Dacorum Borough Council
  Council Tax Section
  The Forum
  Hemel Hempstead
  Herts
  HP1 1DN

• My Council Tax bill shows a credit from last year, what will happen to this amount?

  If your 2017/18 bill shows that your account is in credit and you would like it refunded, please email council.tax@dacorum.gov.uk or phone 01442 228000 and ask for Council Tax.

  If you still have credit from last year (April 2016 - March 2017), it will be taken off this year's bill to reduce the instalments. You can still have the credit refunded, but this will mean that your instalments for 2017/18 will increase. If you still want the credit refunded, please email council.tax@dacorum.gov.uk or phone 01442 228000 and ask for Council Tax. Once the refund has been authorised, you will receive a revised Council Tax bill showing your new instalments.

  Please note: we will refund you by direct credit to your bank or building society account. If you do not currently pay by Direct Debit, we will need your bank details to refund you.

• I received a bill for my old address but I have now moved

  If you have already told us about your change of address, you will receive a revised council tax bill in the next two weeks.

  If you pay by Direct Debit, have moved out of the borough and do not want your April instalment taken, please cancel your Direct Debit with your bank.

  If you have moved within the borough, and you are liable to pay Council Tax at your new address, any payment made on your old account will be transferred to your new bill.

  If you have not told us about your move, please email us the details at council.tax@dacorum.gov.uk or by phone on 01442 228000.

• I receive Council Tax Support, has this been taken off my bill?

  Yes. We have worked out your Council Tax Support for 2017/18 and this is included on your Council Tax bill.

• I pay by Direct Debit, do I need to set up a new one?

  If you have already set up a Direct Debit, this will show on the front of your bill, and you do not have to do anything else.

  As a Direct Debit payer, you can choose to make payment on the 1st, 10th or 21st day of the month. If you would like to change your Direct Debit payment date, please let us know by emailing council.tax@dacorum.gov.uk or calling 01442 228000.

• My bill shows 10 monthly instalments. Can I pay over 12 months instead?

  Yes. You have the right to pay in 12 monthly instalments. If you want to do this, let us know by email at council.tax@dacorum.gov.uk or phone us on 01442 228000.  
  You can also pay over 12 months by Direct Debit. Find out how to set up a Direct Debit with us.

  If you have an instalment due for 1 April 2017, you will need to pay the amount shown on your bill and your future instalments will be adjusted.

• I have received my bill. Can I set up a Direct Debit?

  Yes. You can set up a Direct Debit online. Please visit our Paying your Council Tax bill page for more information.

• It states at the bottom of my bill that my account is in arrears - why is this?

  The Council Tax bill was issued using information as of 3 March 2017. If you have made a payment since 3 March 2017, it will not be included in the bill.

  If you still owe money, we may take recovery action. Please contact us at council.tax@dacorum.gov.uk or phone 01442 228000 and ask for Council Tax Recovery.

• Why does the Hertfordshire County Council Adult Social Care supplement show as a 3.0% increase?

  The total amount you pay to Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) has increased by 4.99% from last year. The way that this increase is shown on your bill was decided by central Government.

  The amount you pay to HCC is made up of two parts – one for general spending, and the other a ring-fenced amount, which can only be spent on providing adult social care.

  For a band D property, the total HCC charge for 2016/17 was £1,186.62. This was split as £1,163.80 for general spending and £22.82 for adult social care.

  For 2017/18 – this has increased by 1.99% for general spending (£23.61) and 3.0% for adult social care (£35.60). This means the total HCC charge for 2017/18 is £1,245.83.

  The Government has asked us to split the HCC amount into two parts on your council tax bill so you can see how much of your payment is helping to pay for adult social care. However, it also wants us to show the increase based on the change from last year’s total charge, and rounded to one decimal place only. This is why your bill shows a change of 3.0% for the HCC Adult Social Care supplement, and a change of 2.0% for Hertfordshire County Council.

  For more information about Hertfordshire County Council’s budget and spending plans, please visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/counciltax.

• I haven’t received my Council Tax bill for 2017/18 yet. What should I do?

  We sent out bills on 9 March 2017. If you haven't received your Council Tax bill, please let us know by email at council.tax@dacorum.gov.uk or phone us on 01442 228000 and we will send you a copy of the bill.

• How is my Council Tax spent?

  Information about how Dacorum Borough Council, Herts County Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire spend their portion of the Council Tax we collect is available on our Council Tax page.

  If your Council Tax includes an amount for a parish or town council and you would like more information about how that is spent, you can find parish council contact information on our parish and town councils page.

• I have already contacted you about my Council Tax. When should I expect a reply?

  We are currently dealing with a large volume of work, and it is likely to be two weeks before you receive a reply from us. Whether you contacted us by phone, letter or email, it will take the same amount of time for us to get back to you.