Council Tax collection statistics: 2021-2022

This publication provides statistics on Council Tax collection for 2021-2022 and earlier years. The statistics are based on aggregate returns provided by local authorities, who are responsible for the billing and collection of Council Tax.


1. Council Tax billed and received

Table 1: Council Tax billed and received
  Year to which
bill refers
Net amount
billed (£000s)
Amount recv'd
(£000s) as at
31 March 2022
Amount
uncollected
(£000s) as at
31 March 2022
Percentage
received as at
31 March 2022
Latest Year to
31 March 2022
2021-22 2,722,937 2,607,013 115,924 95.7
Previous Years 2020-21 2,667,442 2,554,713 112,730 95.8
2019-20 2,550,159 2,465,208 84,951 96.7
2018-19 2,425,228 2,354,193 71,035 97.1
2017-18 2,324,320 2,261,023 63,297 97.3
2016-17 2,138,293 2,080,353 57,940 97.3
2015-16 2,104,749 2,050,537 54,212 97.4
2014-15 2,070,133 2,018,641 51,492 97.5
2013-14 2,030,949 1,981,759 49,190 97.6
2012-13 1,999,791 1,951,839 47,952 97.6
2011-12 1,978,440 1,931,353 47,086 97.6
2010-11 1,963,790 1,915,098 48,693 97.5
2009-10 1,956,444 1,906,034 50,411 97.4
2008-09 1,955,812 1,902,032 53,780 97.3
2007-08 1,930,503 1,879,528 50,975 97.4
2006-07 1,857,648 1,808,685 48,963 97.4
2005-06 1,767,722 1,721,710 46,012 97.4
2004-05 1,658,429 1,615,618 42,811 97.4
2003-04 1,572,916 1,530,111 42,804 97.3
2002-03 1,497,005 1,455,635 41,371 97.2
2001-02 1,412,085 1,372,195 39,890 97.2
2000-01 1,323,968 1,285,888 38,081 97.1
1999-00 1,243,600 1,208,214 35,386 97.2
Total for
previous years
1999-00 to 2020-21 42,429,426 41,250,366 1,179,059 97.2
Total for all years
to 31 March 2022
1999-00 to 2021-22 45,152,363 43,857,380 1,294,983 97.1

Notes

  • The 2021-22 collection rate is typically lower since it is effectively the in-year collection rate (i.e. before any late payments).
  • Years prior to 2021-22 are closer to final collection rates as local authorities have had longer to collect late payments.
  • All figures are net of discounts (e.g. single person discount), exemptions and surcharges.
  • The figures are before any amounts written off for bad or doubtful debt. They reflect any correction to liabilities following billing.
  • Figures from 2005-06 onwards include additional amounts in respect of reduced Second Home/Long Term Empty property discounts.

Source: Council Tax Receipts Return (CTRR)

In Table 1, the net Council Tax billed across Scotland and the amount received by 31 March 2022 are shown dating back to 1999-00. Earlier years, from 1993-94 when Council Tax was introduced to 1998-99 have been archived as collection data for these earlier years are now fairly static and are available in the publication tables.

The net amount billed rose sharply from £1.244 billion in 1999-00 to £1.931 billion (in cash terms) in 2007-08, principally due to increases in Council Tax levels, but with an additional smaller increase due to growth in the tax base (mainly due to an increase in the number of dwellings). In 2007-08 Council Tax was frozen, which is reflected in the data where the net amount billed flattens off between 2007-08 and 2016-17 (Band D Council Tax levels each year are shown in the published Council Tax Datasets). The smaller increases in this period are due to growth in the tax base only, as a result of changes in the number and pattern of use of dwellings, as well as changes in household composition and awarding of Council Tax Benefit/Reduction. After 9 years of the Council Tax freeze, the Scottish Government secured the agreement of local authorities to cap locally determined council tax increases to 3 per cent in cash terms in both 2017-18 and 2018-19. In 2019-20 and 2020-21 Council Tax increases were capped at 3 per cent in real terms, which was 4.79 per cent and 4.84 per cent respectively in cash terms, and in 2021-22 Council Tax rates were frozen. The increase in net amount billed between 2016-17 and 2021-22 reflects increased charges for properties in Bands E-H effective from April 2017 and the end of the Council Tax freeze. This pattern is shown in Chart 1.

It should be noted that Table 1 shows the amount and percentage collected as at 31 March 2022. For earlier years local authorities have had a longer time to collect any late payments, for example payments relating to the 2010-11 billing year have been collected over the last 11 years whereas for more recent years (particularly the latest year), there has been less time for collection. This is the main reason why the 'percentage received at 31 March 2022' data show slightly lower percentages received for more recent years. This is particularly the case in 2020-21 as collection rates were adversely affected by measures put in place to support Council Tax payers in dealing with the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. For the earlier years, it is unlikely that much more Council Tax will be collected; hence, for these years, the percentages received are close to final collection rates. Excluding the effect on later years described above, the collection rate for all years tends towards a value of just over 97 per cent.

Chart 1: Net Council Tax billed each year (£ millions)
A chart showing Net Council Tax billed each year dating back to 1999-00

Contact

Email: gregor.berry@gov.scot

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