COUNCIL TAX INCREASES IN 2026/27

(Proposed/confirmed, upper-tier local authorities)

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THE number of local authorities in England looking to impose the maximum level of council tax has fallen this year, new analysis reveals.

Some 119 of the 153 top-tier authorities have either proposed or confirmed a rise of 4.99% for 2026/27 - the largest increase possible without holding a local referendum.

A further six councils with acute financial challenges are likely to accept the permission granted by the Government to increase council tax beyond this level.

This means 125 authorities - 82% of the total - are planning a rise of at least 4.99%, down from 134 (88%) last year.

The figures have been compiled by the Press Association based on the latest data available from local authorities in England, as of February 25, 2026.

The findings show that 25 upper-tier councils are currently not looking to raise council tax by at least 4.99%, of which eight have pencilled in rises between 4.00% and 4.98%, nine are between 3.00% and 3.99%, and the remaining eight are between 1.99% and 2.99%.

Some 10 of these 25 councils are run by Reform UK, either as the majority party or as a minority administration.

By contrast, two Reform-led councils - Doncaster and North Northamptonshire - have signalled their intention to apply the maximum 4.99% this year, while another, Worcestershire has been given permission for a rise of up to 8.99% to deal with financial pressures.

The Government has recently reformed the local government finance system in a bid to establish a fairer distribution of funding through changes to allocation formulas, alongside multiyear settlements.