Council Tax in North Yorkshire: Bands for 2026-27 and How to Pay

Who sets Council Tax across North Yorkshire?

Council Tax for Harrogate, Scarborough, Skipton, Ripon, Whitby, Northallerton, Selby and Malton is billed by North Yorkshire Council, the single council for the area since April 2023. The council's Council Tax pages cover paying, reporting changes, discounts and reductions, the bill and how the money is spent. The City of York is a separate council with its own bills; if you live in York, use City of York Council.

What are the bands for 2026-27?

Your property is placed in one of eight valuation bands, A to H, by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), which is separate from the council. The council's bands page explains the bands were set in 1991 and reflect what a property would have sold for at that time. You can look up your band on GOV.UK.

For 2026 to 2027 the council publishes the charge in three parts: North Yorkshire Council, the Mayoral Police and Crime Commissioner precept, and the Mayoral general precept. The totals it gives are:

• Band A: £1,659.21
• Band B: £1,935.72
• Band C: £2,212.26
• Band D: £2,488.80
• Band E: £3,041.88
• Band F: £3,594.93
• Band G: £4,148.01
• Band H: £4,977.60

The page adds that if your area has a parish or town council, your final bill includes a charge for that too, and your bill gives the full details. Treat the table as the council's published figures and check your own bill for what you actually pay.

How do I check or challenge my band?

The council says you can ask the VOA to review your band if you think it is wrong and you have been the taxpayer for less than six months or your band has changed in the last six months. Otherwise you can still ask, but you will need strong evidence. For a new property that is awaiting a band, the council says the VOA can take up to 90 working days to report it. You do not have to pay while the property is unbanded, but a backdated bill follows once the band is set, and the council can arrange provisional monthly payments.

How do I pay?

The council's pay your Council Tax page lists these methods:

• Direct Debit. You can choose to pay on the 1st, 8th, 15th, 20th, 22nd or 25th of the month, over 10 or 12 instalments a year. The council says 70 per cent of residents (215,000) pay this way. Set it up on the council's online form and have your new 13-digit account reference, which starts with a 9, to hand.
• Online with a debit or credit card and your reference number.
• By phone on 0300 131 2 131, pressing 1 to make a payment. The page says that if your reference contains a letter, you cannot pay by phone right now.
• At a Post Office or PayPoint with a bill that has a barcode. The page says Post Offices accept cash, cheques and cards up to £999.
• By BACS or internet banking using the council's bank details on that page. The council says it has recently updated these, so use the current details published there and nowhere else.

The page also explains how to request a refund if your account is in credit.

Discounts and reductions

The council's money off your Council Tax page links to Council Tax reduction for people on a low income, the single person discount, rules for students, empty homes, carers, annexes, properties adapted for disabled residents, and apprentices or school leavers. Each has its own application route.

Beware of scams

The council runs pages on Council Tax scams and on how to tell genuine payment reminder texts and emails from fake ones. If you are unsure, do not use a link in a message; go to the council's own website.