Council tax band F

What does band F cost in 2026-27?

Councils decide their own Band D charge every year, and band F is simply a set portion of that. When the local Band D figure moves, your band F bill moves with it. Band D matters because every other band is worked out from it.

The average Band D bill in England for 2026-27 is £2,392, which puts band F at roughly £3,454 a year. That figure comes from the official statistics for England. Wales has an average Band D of £2,283, so band F there comes to roughly £3,298; the Welsh Government publishes those numbers.

Scotland's average Band D is the lowest of the three at £1,653. Band F there works out at roughly £2,687 for the year, based on figures published by the Scottish Government.

Band F costs by council

What you pay varies a lot from one council to the next. In England, for instance, Wandsworth's band F charge is £1,485.19 a year, whereas Dorset's reaches £3,993.92.

In England, Wandsworth comes in lowest at £1,485.19, with Westminster next at £1,516.02 and the City of London at £1,920.48. The costliest areas are Dorset at £3,993.92, then Lewes at £3,981.13 and Nottingham at £3,980.01.

Wales starts from Cardiff at £2,907.93, followed by Caerphilly at £3,008.60 and Newport at £3,016.69. Merthyr Tydfil tops the list at £3,746.31, ahead of Neath Port Talbot at £3,670.90 and Blaenau Gwent at £3,656.26.

In Scotland, South Lanarkshire is cheapest at £2,386.27, then the Shetland Islands at £2,417.84 and Na h-Eileanan Siar at £2,446.44. Midlothian is highest at £2,951.26, with Argyll and Bute at £2,897.91 and Stirling at £2,848.41.

All of these figures come from the official 2026-27 data for England, Wales and Scotland.

Band F property values

Your home's band doesn't reflect its current market value. It goes back to what the property would have fetched on a set date in the past, known as the valuation date. England and Scotland both use 1 April 1991 for this, while Wales uses 1 April 2003. GOV.UK guidance and the Scottish Assessors set out these rules.

In England, the band covers homes that would have sold for £120,001 to £160,000 on 1 April 1991. Wales draws its line at £162,001 to £223,000, valued as of 1 April 2003. Scotland's band takes in properties worth over £80,000 and up to £106,000, again judged on 1 April 1991 values.

In England and Wales, the Valuation Office is responsible for banding, and it never works from house price indexes. So you can't start with what a place sells for now and work backwards to a band.

Where does band f sit compared with Band D?

England and Wales use bands A to H, fixed by law so that each band is a set multiple of Band D. In law, band F works out at about 1.44 times the Band D charge. The Local Government Finance Act 1992, section 5 sets this out.

Scotland uses its own scale, set out in section 74 of the same Act, and there band F costs about 1.63 times the Band D bill, a bigger step up than in England or Wales. That's why band F is a steeper jump above Band D in Scotland than elsewhere in Britain, even with Scottish bills being cheaper on the whole.

How to check whether a home is in band F

Before you buy or rent, it's worth checking a home's band, because it shapes what you'll pay. The exact bill still changes each year when the council sets new charges.

1. For homes in England or Wales, use the council tax band finder on GOV.UK and look up the address or postcode.
2. For Scotland, look the property up using the search tool on the Scottish Assessors website.
3. Check that council's band F charge in the newest yearly figures to find your likely bill.

Support with a band F bill

You don't need to be in a lower band to get help with council tax. Council Tax Reduction may be available for a band F home if you're on a low income or receiving benefits.