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The highest Band D council tax in England for 2026-27 is Dorset UA Council at £2,765.00. The average 2026-27 rise across billing authorities was 4.8%, and in 110 of 296 areas the whole Band D bill went up by 4.99% or more. Figures for unitary, metropolitan, London borough and district councils are the full Band D bill for the area, including any county, police and fire shares. County councils show only their own 2025-26 share — they do not send the bill, and their 2026-27 share is not yet published. These rankings cover England's councils. Scotland and Wales run their own council tax systems, and Northern Ireland uses domestic rates instead.
Unitary, metropolitan, and London boroughs · 2026-27 · full Band D bill for the area
Two-tier lower (shares services with a county council) · 2026-27 · full Band D bill for the area
Two-tier upper (shares services with district councils) · 2025-26 · the county's own share of the bill (2026-27 not yet published)
Quick answers, from the same figures as the rankings
Dorset UA Council has the highest Band D council tax in England for 2026-27 at £2,765.00. The average 2026-27 Band D bill across England's 296 billing authorities is £2,411, up 4.8% on last year.
CivAccount covers England's councils, where the most expensive Band D bill for 2026-27 is Dorset UA Council at £2,765.00. Scotland and Wales set council tax under their own systems, and Northern Ireland uses domestic rates instead of council tax, so their bills are not ranked here.
Council tax rates depend on a few things: the range of services the council runs, where the council chooses to spend its money, how much funding it gets from government, and how many homes share the bill. Councils with fewer homes, or with higher demand for services, tend to charge more per household.
Most billing-authority areas saw the Band D bill rise by close to 5% for 2026-27 — in 110 of 296 areas the whole bill went up by 4.99% or more, and the biggest area rise was Shropshire Council at 9.0%. Councils that want to raise their own share above the government's cap need permission from government or a local referendum — rising adult social care costs are the most common reason.
Rates are grouped by council type (unitary, metropolitan district, London borough, county, district) so you compare like with like. For billing authorities the figure is the full Band D bill for the area, including any county, police and fire shares. County councils show only their own share.