Paying Your Council Tax
Online Payments
You can pay your Council Tax online using the link under Do it Online on the right.
Who has to pay the Council Tax?
The first person(s) to appear in the order listed below is/are liable to pay the Council Tax:
- A resident owner
- A resident with a lease
- A resident with a tenancy agreement (including council and housing association tenants)
- A resident with a licence agreement
- A resident (including squatters)
- The owner if the property has no residents
Where more than one person falls into the liability category, for example husbands and wives, they are all liable to pay the whole amount due, even if one has already paid some of the bill. This applies even if one of the liable people are entitled to a discount – everyone who is liable has to make sure the whole amount due is paid in full.
- If the property is empty, then the owner is liable, however, there are some cases where the owner is always liable
- Houses in Multiple Occupation, where the residents have separate leases or licences, and only occupy or pay rent for part of the property (e.g. bedsit with shared facilities)
- Residential Care Homes or Nursing Homes
- Religious communities, such as monks and nuns
- Houses occupied by Ministers of Religion
- Houses occupied by most asylum seekers
By law, everyone has the right to pay their Council Tax by monthly instalments unless that right has been lost see What happens if I do not pay.
Council Tax payments are due on the 1st of each month for people who have not arranged to pay by Direct Debit.
The Council offers a number of ways for you to pay your Council Tax bill including:
Direct Debit
Direct Debit is the easy way to pay your Council Tax.
If you have a bank account, you can pay your Council Tax by Direct Debit. This method of payment is the increasingly popular choice of many people to pay all their household bills. It is a convenient and easy method of payment and has the advantage of spreading your payments over 12 months and choosing a date to pay that suits you.
Direct Debit has the following advantages:
- The scheme is guaranteed by your bank
- It is automatic – no worries about paying late
- Your Council Tax can usually be spread over 12 months
- You will have a choice of four different instalment dates – 1st, 14th, 21st or 28th of the month
- It may be cheaper if you pay bank charges
- This is by far the most effective and cost efficient way for us to collect your Council Tax payments and the easiest way for you to make your payments.
Please contact the Council Tax section on 020 8356 3154 (between the hours 9 am - 5 pm) for further information.
Debit or Credit Card
You can now pay your Council Tax using your debit or credit card at the Cashiers Office at 2 Hillman Street (behind Hackney Town Hall) or over the telephone by calling our hotline number 020 8356 5050.
We are able to accept payment the following types of card:
If you are currently paying by debit or credit card or are thinking of paying this way, you may wish to consider some of the advantage of paying by Direct Debit (see above).
Bank and Post Office
You can pay your Council Tax by cash or cheque at the Bank or Post Office using the payment slips provided with your payment booklet.
If you are making payment at the Post Office or your own Bank, there should be no charge for this facility. However, some Banks may charge if you making a payment at a Bank other than your own.
Important: You must make sure that we received your instalments on or before the dates shown on your bill. This means that you should allow:
- 6 extra days if you pay by cheque at the post office or
- 3 extra working days if you pay by cash at the post office or through your bank
- Even if we receive your payments later that same month, we may still send you reminders or final notices.
By PayPoint
You can pay your Business Rates in person at any PayPoint Outlet. Click here to find your nearest outlet.
By post
You can send a cheque to Keltan House, 89-115 Mare Street, Hackney London E8 4RU. You should write clearly your reference number on the reverse of the cheque.
Do no send cash through the post.
In person
You can pay your Council Tax in person, by cash, cheque or debit/credit card at the Cashiers Office, 2 Hillman Street (behind Hackney Town Hall), open 9am-5pm Monday-Friday.
Page updated: 19 Feb 2008