Council Tax refunds

Requesting a refund

We can issue a refund when there is a valid credit balance on your account. Your account may be in credit due to an overpayment, an award of Council Tax Support, an award of a discount/exemption or because the band of your property has been reduced.

If you receive a notice stating that your account is in credit, you will need to either complete and return the refund request slip on the bottom of the notice, or complete our online refund form below and we will pay the refund into your bank account - please note, we no longer issue refunds by cheque.

If you pay by Direct Debit and want the credit refunded to the same bank account then you will not need to provide anything in addition to your application. However, if you do not pay by Direct Debit, or you do pay by Direct Debit but want the credit refunded into a different bank account, you will need to provide a bank statement as evidence that the nominated bank account belongs to the applicant. This will need to show the bank account number, sort code, and account holder name; it does not need to show any transactions. If you are completing the online form then a scan of the bank statement can be attached to the form.

Council Tax refund form

What should I do if I am moving address and have a credit balance on my council tax account?

• If you have a credit balance on your account and you are moving within the borough, we will transfer the balance to your new council tax account.
• If you have a credit balance on your account and you are moving out of the borough, please complete our online refund form above and we will pay the refund into your bank account.

Credit balances on closed Council Tax accounts where the liability was held in joint names

If the Council Tax charge was paid by Direct Debit, and the bank account that payments was made from is still active, then we will refund credit into that bank account. If the Council Tax charge was not paid by Direct Debit, or was paid by Direct Debit from a bank account that is now closed, then a refund application should be made. In order for the full credit balance to be refunded to one bank account, written authorisation will be required from all liable parties. If this cannot be obtained then only the proportion of the credit can be refunded (half of the credit if there are two liable parties, a third of the credit if there are three liable parties, etc.) 

Credit balances due to an exemption/ discount / council tax support

If you are in credit because of an exemption, discount or council tax support; we may use the credit to reduce the balance on your account rather than issue a refund. If we decide to do this you will receive a revised bill with the instalments adjusted accordingly. Please note that credits may also be used to reduce outstanding balances on other council tax accounts in your name.

If you are applying for a refund as the personal representative of a person who has passed away

If the person who was liable for the Council Tax charge on a property has passed away resulting in a credit on their account, and their bank account can no longer accept payments, credit can be refunded into a different bank account nominated by their personal representative. Evidence is required that the applicant is their personal representative, generally a copy of the will or grant of probate. If there is no personal representative, instruction can come from next of kin named on death certificate. A bank statement will still also need to be provided for the bank account that the payment is being made to.