Payment and Recovery of Council Tax and Business Rates

Instalments
Wherever possible, your initial bill will show the total amount that you have to pay for the new financial year. This bill may be amended later if your circumstances change, such as if you become a sole occupier and therefore qualify for a discount, or if your income alters and you become entitled to Council Tax Benefit. It shows that you can pay by instalments, for example on your annual bill (issued in March each year), you will be asked to pay by ten monthly instalments from April to January, on the 5th of each month for Council Tax or the 1st of the month for Business Rates.

There are some exceptions to this, which can include:

  • Bills issued part way through the financial year
  • Bills for small balances
  • Bills where instalments have not been paid on time in the past

In addition, Council Tax Direct Debit payers have the added option of paying on the 18th of the month.

Instalments should be made so that they are received by the Council on or before the date shown on the bill, and you should make your arrangements to pay accordingly. The best way to ensure this is to arrange for payment by Direct Debit. You can do this over the 'phone by calling the Council Tax Team on 01827 709530.

Reminders and Final Notices
If you receive a reminder or a final notice, you will need to bring your payments up to date by the date shown on the notice. If you do not do this your right to instalments may be cancelled without further notice to you.

If you bring your Council Tax instalments up to date but you are then late making another payment a further reminder will be sent. ONLY TWO Council Tax reminders are sent in any financial year.

If you are late making further payments your right to instalments WILL be cancelled. You should also ensure that future payments are made on time as further recovery action may take place with no further warning if you don't.

Once your right to instalments is cancelled if you do not pay the whole amount outstanding you will be issued with a summons to appear at the Magistrates Court so that the Council can obtain a liability order against you, this will also involve you being charged costs.

If you have recently made a payment when you received a reminder, or feel the amount due is incorrect, you should contact us on 01827 709530 to ensure that all payments have been received, and that no changes have been made to your account that you are not aware of.

Summonses and Liability Orders
If amounts have not been paid in line with reminders, the full amount of Council Tax or Business Rates for the year becomes due. This can also be the case if you have received reminders that you have paid, but later fail to keep paying in line with your bill.

Once the full amount is due, the Council may summons you for non-payment. From the 1 April 2010 this will involve £50 costs being added to your account immediately. You will be summonsed to attend the Magistrates Court to show why you have not paid, however if you do not attend, action will be taken as if you were there. This action will be the granting of a Liability Order, together with a further £35 costs. Please note that if you do not dispute the charge, and simply need to make an arrangement to pay, you do not need to attend the court on the hearing date. In any case, it is advisable to contact the Recovery Team on 01827 709463 before the date of the hearing to deal with any queries you have and make arrangements for payment.

If a liability order is granted against you, the Council gains additional powers to recover the outstanding debt, which again can involve additional costs to you. These options include:

  • The use of bailiffs (which can include your goods being taken for sale to reduce the amount you owe)
  • Attachment of Earnings (deductions direct from your wages- used for Council Tax)
  • Attachment of Benefits (deductions direct from your benefits- used for Council Tax)
  • A Charging Order made against your property
  • The initiation of insolvency proceedings (Bankruptcy for a person or Liquidation for a company)
  • The initiation of Committal action, where you can be sent to prison for up to 3 months.

If you have any questions regarding this information, or if you have received any recovery correspondence from us, you can call the Recovery Team on 01827 709463 for assistance.


Pay Online
You may pay your Council Tax on this website.

If you have a touch-tone telephone, you may also pay via our automatic interactive voice recognition (IVR) telephone service. Just dial the local rate number 0845 2307 709.

You will need your account details and a valid debit or credit card ready. We accept most major cards. Payments made using a Credit Card attract a surcharge. This amounts to 2.6% of the transaction value when paying on the web site and 2.3% of the transaction value when using the the Touch Tone telephone service. There is no surcharge on payments made by Debit Card.

Direct Debit
In order to pay by this method you must complete a Direct Debit Instruction.

You may do this in one of three ways:

  • print and return the online Direct Debit instruction
  • telephone us on 01827 709530 to set up or amend your instruction without the need to fill in forms
  • complete a paper form which is available from Council offices.

If using a paper form it MUST be returned to Tamworth Borough Council. DO NOT send it direct to your bank.

If there is an amendment to your account you will be notified of the amount that the Council is requesting in payment before any money is taken from your bank account.

There is a very rigid code of practice that must be followed by both the bank and the party requesting payment by direct debit, for this reason it is seen as the best method of payment by many Council Tax payers.

Council Offices
By cheque .

We no longer operate a cash office service or kiosk at Marmion House or at Area Offices.

If you wish to pay by cheque, a deposit box is available at Tamworth Borough Council Marmion House, Lichfield Street, Tamworth B79 7BZ during the normal office opening hours.

Post dated cheques are not accepted. Cheques should be made payable to Tamworth Borough Council and crossed A/C payee.

Bank
By cash or by cheque. Post dated cheques are not accepted.
Please take the bill to any bank. Some banks may charge a fee.

Please make the cheque payable to "Tamworth Borough Council".

Please quote your Council Tax account number, the Council's bank, Co-operative Bank PLC sort code 08-92-46 and account number 61038529.

These details may also be used to set up a Standing Order from your bank.

Swipe Card
You can pay your Council Tax by cash only at PayPoint outlets or by cash, debit card or cheque at the Post Office. If you pay by cheque at the Post Office, please make the cheque out to "Post Office Limited".

If you wish to pay by this method, please call 01827 709530 to order a swipe card.

If your card is lost, damaged or stolen, please contact us on 01827 709530 to arrange for a replacement. A charge may be made for replacement cards.