Council Tax payers across the UK may be eligible for a two month break from paying the charge in 2025 – with March the second of these months, following a free bill in February too.

UK households are being handed free council in March. Council Tax payers across the UK may be eligible for a two month break from paying the charge in 2025 – with March the second of these months, following a free bill in February too.

Council tax is made by all UK domestic property-owners to their respective local authorities. It pays for council services such as refuse collection and street lighting, with much of it spent on social care.

It’s a mandatory fee, meaning you have to pay it, although some exemptions do apply. This can depend on both the location of the house and who lives in it, according to various council websites, including the local authority in Birmingham.

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Not everyone pays the same amount of council tax, as all properties are put into bands from A to H, which will determine how much you pay. Payments are dependant on a number of things, including location and property size.

To get an idea of whether you’re in too high a band, there are TWO important checks to make. Ensure you do both, as you can’t ask for your band to be lowered, only revalued, and you don’t want yours or your neighbours’ to go up. These checks should prevent that.

While the bills do land monthly, many people actually pay their annual sum in 10 instalments, meaning they won’t be billed in February and March. If you aren’t sure whether you pay over 10 or 12 months, check your direct debit and your bill.

‌Each residential property in England, Scotland and Wales is assigned what’s called a Council Tax ‘band’. There are eight possible bands a property can be in, starting from A all the way up to H, and these bands determine how much Council Tax you pay each month.

The cheapest Council Tax band is A with each band getting progressively more expensive – band H being the most expensive. However, exactly how much Council Tax you pay will depend on where you live as local authorities decide the level of Council Tax charged on the various bands.