Northumberland County Council - Council tax

Council tax - how to pay

We use council tax to fund essential services across Northumberland. You may wish to consider paying your council tax by direct debit which can be set up online without the need for face to face contact . Please see below for further details

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Pay Council Tax

Pay your council tax by direct debit

Council tax direct debit mandate form

Using direct debit is a simple way to ensure your payments are paid automatically each month. Its efficiency means lower collection costs and lower council tax rises. You have the option to pay 10 or 12-monthly instalments on either the 1st, 15th or 28th of the month.

How to set up a direct debit or to change the details of an existing one

To set up a direct debit, or to change details of an existing one, please click here.

Alternatively, you can:
Contact us by phone: 01670 624884 (Monday to Thursday, 8.30am to 5pm and Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm)

Download and complete the council tax direct debit mandate form and post it to:

Revenues Section
Northumberland County Council
Wansbeck Square
Ashington
Northumberland
NE63 9XL

What you will need to set up your direct debit

Please have the following details ready when setting up your direct debit. You will be able to find most of this information in your cheque book or on your debit card:

bank or building society name
account number and sort code
branch address
council tax account number

The direct debit guarantee

This guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that take part in the direct debit scheme.
The efficiency and security of the scheme is monitored and protected by your own bank or building society.
If there are any changes to the amounts to be paid or the payment dates, Northumberland County Council will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed.
If an error is made by either Northumberland County Council or your bank or building society, you are guaranteed a full and immediate refund from your branch.
You can cancel a direct debit at any time by writing to your bank or building society.

Direct debit smartphone & tablet app

An app is available from BACS to help you manage your direct debit at the click of a button, it is compatible with:

iPhone and iPad – iOS 7+
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and up.

The app is easy to use, secure and it’s free.

Download the direct debit control centre app here.

Payments made online can be done 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We provide secure payment through Capita Software Services, who are certified by Visa and MasterCard as a (PCI DSS) level 1 payment processor.

Pay council tax using debit or credit card

How to pay online

To pay your council tax online using a debit or credit card, please click here.

You will need your:

council tax account number
debit/credit card details

Pay council tax over the phone
Payments can be made via our automated phone service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by calling 0345 600 6400 (charged at your local rate).

What you will need

council tax account number
debit/credit card details

Payments can take up to three working days to show on your council tax account when you pay in person at a post office or paypoint outlet.

You can make payment at any:

post office, or
paypoint outlet

What you will need:

your council tax bill – the barcode on the bill is used to process the payment
to pay either the amount of your monthly instalments or the full amount due

You can send either a cheque or postal order to pay your council tax bill by post.

Please make it payable to ‘Northumberland County Council’ and send to:

Council Tax Section,
Northumberland County Council,
Wansbeck Square,
Ashington,
Northumberland,
NE63 9XL.

Receipts will only be issued on request. Please take into account the time it will take for the payment to reach us and for the cheque to clear.

You can now set up your own payment arrangement.

You can set up instalments to pay monthly by direct debit, or weekly, fortnightly or monthly for other methods of payment.

Click here to pay your council tax by special payment arrangement

Information you need to know:

First payment must be made within one month.
All arrangements must be cleared within the financial year.
Arrangements set at summons stage will include future costs.
Payment arrangements made on receipt of a Court summons will include further costs of £50.
For Direct Debit arrangements, first payment must be no sooner than 14 days from date arrangement set up.
Any arrangements that default may result in further recovery action.

You will receive written confirmation of your arrangement. If you default on the payment arrangement, further recovery action may be taken against you.

Please contact the Council if you cannot keep to the arrangement you make.

On this page you will find frequently asked questions and answers relating to council tax.

Pay your council tax by direct debit

Can I pay my council tax over 12 months?

Yes. The option is available to pay your council tax and business rates over 12 months, or the number of whole months remaining in the financial year.

direct debit – you can pay on either the 1^st, 15^th or 28^th of the month, set up your direct debit online here
cash – you can pay over 12 months but only with an instalment date of the 1^st of the month

What happens if I fail to pay my council tax?

We will take action to recover money owed. A reminder notice will be issued and if payment is not made, we can apply to the magistrates’ court for the issue of a summons, which will incur costs. Following this, if payment for the full balance due is still not made the court will issue a liability order, incurring further costs. This will then allow the council to enforce payment by either:

deducting money from your earnings
deducting money from universal credit, income support, jobseekers' allowance, employment support allowance and pension credit
asking an enforcement agent to collect the money or remove goods to the value of the debt
issuing a petition for bankruptcy
asking the Court to make a charging order if you own your property

Debt Recovery and Vulnerability Pilot Scheme

The Council is taking part in a ‘Debt Recovery and Vulnerability’ pilot scheme under the Digital Economy Act 2017. If you have Council Tax debt, your name, address and identification information may be shared with the Department for Work and Pensions and HM Revenue and Customs to help us identify financial vulnerability and recover Council Tax debts more effectively. Click here to view the governance documents.

What should I do if I’m having difficulty paying my council tax?

Telephone: 0345 600 6400 (charged at your local rate).
Email: counciltax@northumberland.gov.uk

You may be entitled to council tax support. To find out if you are eligible, please contact our benefits section on 0345 600 6400 (charged at local rate).

For further help and advice on dealing with debt, please click here.

Can I look at my bills online?

Yes you can view your council tax bill online.

My Northumberland Account is a free, interactive and secure service that will make it easier and more convenient for you to access council services online.

Visit My Northumberland Account

News updates: get your quarterly copy of the Northumberland News residents magazine and occasional news updates emailed to you.

PLEASE NOTE: We will be adding new services over the next few months and will email account holders as they become available. At the moment, we only offer council tax services and news updates.

Please note that you can still click here to pay online.

I’m new to the area. How do I register to pay council tax?

Please view our change of circumstances page here.

How can I contact the council tax team?

If you require any further details, please contact us by:

Phone: 0345 600 6400 (charged at your local rate).
Email: counciltax@northumberland.gov.uk
eForm: Complete the council tax enquiry form here.

Write to:

Council Tax Section
Northumberland County Council
Wansbeck Square
Ashington
NE63 9XL

If you require any further details, please contact us by:

Phone: 0345 600 6400 (charged at your local rate).
Email: counciltax@northumberland.gov.uk
eForm: Complete the council tax enquiry form here.

Write to:

Council Tax Section
Northumberland County Council
Wansbeck Square
Ashington
NE63 9XL

Here you can arrange to view your bill, monthly instalments and payments on line.

My Northumberland Account is a free, interactive and secure online service that allows you to access council tax, business rates, council tax support and housing benefit (including a landlord service), 24 hours a day, seven days a week.