Get a Council Tax refund if your account is in credit

If you have received a statement showing that your Council Tax account is in credit, you can ask for a refund of the overpaid amount. Refunds are paid directly into your bank or building society account (usually within 10 days). 

Your Council Tax account might be in credit when: 

  • the account has been closed before an instalment is taken out 
  • you've forgotten to cancel a payment 
  • you’ve been awarded Council Tax Support or a discount, disregard or an exemption 
  • your property band has been reduced 

How to apply for a Council Tax refund 

You will need to have set up My Account for Council Tax. 

  1. Sign in to My Account and select the My Services tab. 
  2. Add the Council Tax and Housing Benefit service 
  3. Select Show Details in your Council Tax and Housing Benefit Service 
  4. Select your Council Tax account 
  5. If your account is in credit, a banner will appear with a link to the Refund form for you to complete 

How the refund is issued 

  • We’ll send you a credit invoice showing the amount of the credit.  
  • If Direct Debit is set up for the account, it will automatically be refunded to your bank account.  
  • If Direct Debit was not set up, please contact us to arrange the refund payment. 

What we need from you 

If more than one person is liable for the Council Tax account 

We will need: 

  • letters stating the refund can be issued to you from each liable person 
  • proof of payments you have made covering the full amount of credit: For example, if the credit is for £400, the person requesting the refund will need to prove they paid £400 

Submit documents

If the person liable for the Council Tax account has died 

A refund will only be issued if the person who has died has a Council Tax account in credit. 

The executor requesting the refund will need to provide evidence that: 

  • probate has been granted 
  • the Council Tax account is closed 

Council Tax: What to do when someone dies

Submit documents

If the person liable for the Council Tax account is receiving Council Tax Support 

We need to confirm that the Council Tax Support is correct before you can get a refund. This can take longer than 10 working days.