Your council tax explained

Information for 2023 explaining how your council tax is spent available online Just 10pence in every pound of council tax collected goes to Tamworth Borough Council New direct debit for council tax payment via My Tamworth Portal coming soon

Tamworth Borough Council has published new information for 2023/24, to help residents understand where their council tax payments are spent and what services are covered.

With just 10pence in every pound of council tax paid paying for Tamworth Borough Council services, it’s important for local people to know and understand where their council tax goes.

The new information outlines everything residents need to know about where money is spent, how to find out if eligible for a council tax discount and how to set up a direct debit for payments. In the past this information would have been sent with council tax bills, but to fund other priority services, this information is now available online.

Council Tax is a way for local councils to raise money to pay for services such as education, social services, libraries, refuse collection, street lighting and leisure. Tamworth collect Council Tax but only retain 10% of it, the rest is distributed to services that include the Police, Fire and Rescue and Staffordshire County Council.

Every £1 of Council Tax that a resident pays, 10p is distributed to Tamworth Borough Council, 13p to Staffordshire Office of Police and Crime, 4p to Staffordshire Fire and Rescue and 73p to Staffordshire County Council.

An easy way to pay council tax is by a direct debit, residents can easily set up a new direct debit via printing a mandate form, or soon to be launched is a direct online option through Tamworth Borough Council’s ‘My Tamworth Portal’; https://mytamworth.tamworth.gov.uk/my-accounts.

The 10pence in every pound that Tamworth Borough Council receives helps pay for services including household waste collection and recycling, street cleansing, maintaining parks and open spaces, Tamworth Castle, Tamworth Assembly Rooms and outdoor events such as St George’s Day celebrations, fireworks and last summer’s Castle Summerfest.

The remaining 90pence in every pound is passed on to Staffordshire County Council for services including roads and pothole repairs, education, social services and libraries, to the Staffordshire Commissioner (Police & Crime) and to the Staffordshire Commissioner (Fire & Rescue).

Councillor Marie Bailey, Portfolio Holder for Finance, Risk and Customer Services at Tamworth Borough Council, said: “The new Council Tax booklet has been designed online to make it easily accessible and detail how residents’ payments are being spent and where the money is distributed; as well as signposting to our My Tamworth Portal where people will be able to manage their direct debit payments online and view all their account information.

“It is important that the council can balance the cost to the taxpayer while supporting our council services. Our funding, resources and capacity are reducing. This inevitably has impact on how we deliver services to the people of Tamworth. We continue to support the most vulnerable in Tamworth and work to provide those services that are important to our residents.”

Some residents may be eligible for a Council Tax Reduction. Full details on how to claim can be found on the council website here: Council Tax | Tamworth Borough Council

Anyone who is struggling with their Council Tax is advised to contact the Tamworth Borough Council Recovery Team on 01827 709463 to find a solution.