Band A Council Tax 2026/27
1991 value range (England/Scotland): Up to £40,000
Fraction of Band D: 6/9
How much is council tax Band A?
Band A council tax is 6/9 of your council's Band D rate. On the 2026/27 England average Band D of £2,392.00, that works out at about £1,595.00 a year - roughly £160.00 a month over the usual 10 instalments (April to January), or £133.00 a month over 12. Your exact bill depends on the Band D rate your council sets; see the rates-by-council table below.
England avg rate (est.)
£1,595.00
per year, Band D avg
Multiplier
6/9
of Band D rate
Value range
Up to £40,000
1991 England values
What is Band A?
Band A is the lowest council tax band, applying to the least expensive properties at the 1991 valuation date (or 2003 in Wales). It covers properties that were worth up to £40,000 in England and Scotland at April 1991 prices. Band A households pay 6/9 (two-thirds) of the Band D rate set by their local authority.
Typical property types in Band A: Small terraced houses, purpose-built flats, maisonettes, and bedsits in lower-value areas. In the North East and some parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire, a significant proportion of the housing stock falls into Band A.
Band A in Wales
In Wales, Band A covers a different value range because Wales revalued its properties in 2003 rather than 1991. Welsh Band A applies to properties valued at Up to £44,000 at 1 April 2003 prices. The same Band D multiplier (6/9) applies regardless of which nation you are in.
Wales also has an additional Band I (for properties over £424,000 at 2003 values) that does not exist in England or Scotland. See our Wales bands guide for the full Welsh band system.
How Band A Rates Are Calculated
Your Band A council tax bill is calculated by multiplying your council's Band D rate by 6/9. The Band D rate is set by your local authority each year in February or March. You cannot negotiate the fraction - it is set by central government.
Formula
Your council's Band D rate × 6/9 = Band A rate
Example: £2,392 (England average Band D) × 6/9 = £1,595.00 per year
That is about £160.00 a month over the usual 10 instalments (April to January), or about £133.00 if you ask to spread it over 12.
Cheapest and Most Expensive Band A Councils 2026/27
Band A bills vary by more than £1,163.12 a year across the 157 councils we cover, depending only on the Band D rate each authority sets. Here are the lowest and highest for 2026/27.
Cheapest Band A
- Wandsworth Borough Council£680.23
- Westminster City Council£699.70
- South Lanarkshire Council£978.98
Most expensive Band A
- Dorset Council£1,843.35
- Nottingham City Council£1,836.93
- Rutland County Council£1,825.05
Rates are the 2026/27 area Band A figures (MHCLG for England, Welsh Government and Scottish councils), scaled to Band A at the statutory 6/9 fraction. Compare every council in the full comparison table.
Band A Rates by Council 2026/27
Showing 157 councils. All councils available on their individual pages. Browse all councils.
Band A Council Tax: Common Questions
How much is council tax Band A in 2026/27?
Band A council tax varies by council because each local authority sets its own Band D rate. Based on the average England Band D of £2,392.00 for 2026/27, a typical Band A bill is about £1,595.00 per year (6/9 of Band D), or about £1,523.00 on the average Welsh Band D of £2,283.00. Your exact bill depends on your council; see the rates-by-council table above.
How much is council tax Band A per month?
Councils normally collect council tax in 10 monthly instalments from April to January, not 12. Based on the average England Band D of £2,392.00 for 2026/27, a typical Band A bill of about £1,595.00 a year works out at roughly £160.00 a month over 10 instalments. You have the right to ask your council to spread it over 12 instead, which brings it to about £133.00 a month. Your exact figure depends on the Band D rate your council sets.
What is council tax Band A?
Band A is the lowest council tax band, applying to the least expensive properties at the 1991 valuation date (or 2003 in Wales). It covers properties that were worth up to £40,000 in England and Scotland at April 1991 prices. Band A households pay 6/9 (two-thirds) of the Band D rate set by their local authority. At 1991 prices it covers properties worth Up to £40,000 in England and Scotland.
How is Band A council tax calculated?
Band A is 6/9 of your council's Band D rate, a fraction fixed by central government that you cannot negotiate. Your council sets the Band D rate each year in February or March, then every band is worked out from it.
Which councils have the cheapest and most expensive Band A council tax?
Across the 157 councils we cover, the lowest Band A bills for 2026/27 are Wandsworth (£680.23), Westminster (£699.70), South Lanarkshire (£978.98). The highest are Dorset (£1,843.35), Nottingham (£1,836.93), Rutland (£1,825.05). Because every band is a fixed fraction of Band D, the councils that are cheapest or dearest for Band A are the same ones that are cheapest or dearest at Band D.
Updated April 2026. Band A rates from 1 April 2026. Rates vary by council.