Last updated:
8th August 2023
See answers to previous information requests
How to search
- Select a year and/or a month from the drop down list
- Type a subject into the 'Subject keyword(s):' search (Optional)
- Click 'Search' button
Alternatively click 'View' to browse through all received requests.
This search is for our information requests from September 2020 onward. You can also visit our previous Disclosure Log to see requests received before this period.
Uncollected council tax
See notes
I am writing this request in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. I’d be grateful if you could provide the following information:
1. For the years 2019-2020, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24, please provide the number of individual cases of uncollected tax (full or partial amounts) Council Tax and the total amount in sterling of uncollected Council Tax in each of those years.
Number of Council Tax accounts in arrears
2019/20: 4491
2021/22: 4374
2022/23: 4275
2023/24: 4602
Above figures relate to the number of Council Tax accounts in arrears as at the end of each financial year, regarding debts due for that financial year.
Total uncollected Council Tax
2019/20: £801,000
2021/22: £936,000
2022/23: £932,000
2023/24: £1,415,000
The above figures relate to the value of Council Tax debt owed as at the end of each financial year, for that financial year (QRC4 figures).
2. A breakdown into postcode area (or former borough boundary area if easier) of all uncollected (full or partial amounts) Council Tax cases in each of the years 2019-2020, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24.
We are unable to provide this information as it is not held on record. The number of cases with uncollected Council Tax at the end of the relevant financial year, for the specific financial years (the uncollected Council Tax in each of the years) was recorded for statistical purposes, as above (reply to Q1), but details of the case records were not recorded. Our reporting tools do not allow retrospective reporting of the case data.
3. For each of the years set out above, the number of individual Council Tax debtor cases which were successfully concluded and taxes concluded and taxes collected (either in the financial of the same year or subsequently).
2019/20: 13644
2021/22: 13415
2022/23: 11566
2023/24: 11204
The above figure shows the number of Council Tax debtor cases that were at least subject to a reminder notice in the financial year listed but do not have an outstanding balance now.
4. For each of the years set about above, the number of individual Council Tax debtor cases which have remained pending/ongoing without successful conclusion
2019/20: 738
2021/22: 1188
2022/23: 1540
2023/24: 2295
The above figure shows reported Council Tax debtor cases relating to each financial year listed, that are subject to a reminder, Final Notice, summons or Liability Order that has not been withdrawn and which have an outstanding balance still due.
5. For each of the years above, the number of individual Council Tax debtor cases which have been written off by the authority and taxes not collected
2019/20: 360
2021/22: 241
2022/23: 164
2023/24: 91
The above figure shows reported Council Tax debt write off cases relating to the specific financial years listed. This includes write offs applied in the specific year or since that year to date.
