FOI003700 FOI Council Tax

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please provide the following information held by your council. Throughout, "the last five financial years" means 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 (each 1 April – 31 March).

1. Council tax accounts. As at 31 March of each of the last five financial years:
  a) the total number of live council tax accounts;
  b) the number of accounts by payment method, i.e. Direct Debit, standing order or bank transfer, debit or credit card, cash or card at a Post Office or PayPoint, and any other method recorded;
  c) the instalment options the council offers (for example 10 monthly, 12 monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or a single annual payment); and
  d) the number of accounts on each instalment option.

2. Payments by method. For each of the last five financial years, the number and total value of council tax payments received by each payment method (as listed in 1b).

3. Direct Debit collections. For each of the last five financial years, separately:
  a) the total number of council tax Direct Debit collections submitted;
  b) the number of those returned unpaid (e.g. via ARUDD reports); and
  c) the total value collected by Direct Debit.

4. Revenues system. The name and supplier of the software system currently used for council tax billing and collection. If the council has changed system at any point in the last five financial years, please also give the previous system and supplier and the date of the switch.

5. Bacs submission. How the council submits its Direct Debit files to Bacs, i.e. directly using Bacs-approved software or through a Bacs-approved bureau, and:
  a) the name of the current software supplier or bureau;
  b) the start date and end date of the current contract, including any extension options;
  c) the annual contract value;
  d) the total amount paid to that supplier or bureau in each of the last five financial years;
  e) the current fee structure (for example a fixed annual fee, a per-transaction fee, or both), including the per-transaction rate if held; and
  f) if the council has changed its submission method, software supplier or bureau at any point in the last five financial years, the previous arrangement and the date of the change.

6. Banking.
  a) the name of the bank that provides the council's main banking services, and the end date of that contract including any extension options;
  b) if the council has changed its main bank in the last five financial years, the previous bank and the date of the change; and
  c) the total bank charges for Direct Debit / Bacs transactions in each of the last five financial years, if separately recorded.