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Guide to Camden’s Council Tax and Business Rates 2025/26

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Letter from the leader of the council

My priority as Leader of Camden Council is making sure our borough continues to be a place which supports everyone in our diverse communities and creates the conditions for all to thrive.

We have proven that by investing in the things that make the biggest difference to people’s lives – together with our focus on prevention and strong track record in managing our finances – that we can protect the frontline services so many people rely on and invest in new areas of support. All against a backdrop of major financial challenge across local government.

This financial challenge is continuing – and whilst the additional funding we have recently received from government is welcome, the cumulative impact of 14 years of previous governments’ funding reductions cannot be underestimated. Since 2010 we have had to deliver savings of more than £220million – and need to save a further £4.5million in the next year to balance our budget.

Our strong track record in managing our finances means that we do not find ourselves in the same extreme financial position as some other councils. However, our budget is under pressure and we are having to make some very tough decisions. To ensure that we are able to continue delivering the best possible public services we are raising Council Tax by 4.99%.

Increasing Council Tax is a hard decision to make. That’s why we are:

  • investing £32million in our Council Tax Reduction Scheme – to ensure that around 16,000 of the most vulnerable households do not pay any Council Tax, and around 6,000 more receive reduced bills. You need to apply for this scheme – find out more about Council Tax support
  • doubling Council Tax on second homes – which will generate an additional £5million to contribute to our Council Tax Reduction Scheme and to help fund accommodation for people who have become homeless
  • investing £2million in our Cost of Living Crisis Fund – which provides payments of up to £500 for people who cannot afford the essentials. To register for our free Money Advice Service which will enable us to help you access any payments you are entitled to, including our Cost of Living Fund visit Camden Money Advice Service for more information. 

Inside this online guide you will find a leaflet which explains more about our budget. It sets out how we determine how much Council Tax is needed and how we use our limited resources to fund vital  services – such as rubbish and recycling collections, street cleaning, libraries, and social care – alongside some of the areas we are investing in such as building more social housing, supporting our voluntary and community sector and preventing homelessness.

I want to end with a thank you to all residents and communities for everything you do, each and every day, to make Camden the special place it is. We will continue to work hard to make every pound count and to deliver the best possible public services for everyone who calls our borough home.

Councillor Richard Olszewski, 
Leader of Camden Council

Council Tax for Camden

In the next year we will spend over £1.01 billion on providing services. The money for this comes from funding from central government, our share of retained business rates, the Council Tax you pay and other sources of income such as rents and fees.

Your Council Tax also helps pay for the Greater London Authority (GLA). In 2025/26 people who will pay Council Tax in Camden will contribute £46.96 million towards the cost of GLA services. The GLA element of your bill is in additional amount charged as part of your annual Camden Council Tax bill. It does not factor in the maximum 4.99% amount central government states Councils can increase Council Tax by without a referendum. Councils have no control over the GLA precept amount we must collect from you as part of your bill.   

The table on this page shows how much Camden's Council Tax charge is for each band this year. On the front of your Council Tax bill it will tell you which band your property is in. The band is based on the value of your property on a historic date and not the current value of your house. If you live in a garden square, you will pay slightly more to maintain the square. If your property has been empty & unfurnished for 12 months or more you will also attract an additional charge to pay. If you have a second home (unoccupied and furnished home) in Camden you will pay double the standard rate of Council Tax for your property from 1 April 2025 unless you meet the criteria for specific exemptions from this charge.  For more information on empty property additional charges and exemptions from the charges please visit, empty property additional charges

Your bill will also tell you how much you must pay, the date each payment must be made by and how you can make your payments.

How much is your Council Tax?
Band Amount of Council Tax for Camden (£) Amount of Council Tax for GLA (£) Total Council Tax 2025/2026 (£)
A 1,077.32 326.92 1,404.24
B 1,256.87 381.41 1,638.28
C 1,436.43 435.89 1,872.32
D 1,615.98 490.38 2,106.36
E 1,975.09 599.35 2,574.44
F 2,334.19 708.33 3,042.52
G 2,693.30 817.30 3,510.60
H 3,231.96 980.76 4,212.72


Our website has more information about Council Tax.

Some groups of people may be entitled to an exemption or discount from paying Council Tax, including Council Tax Support if you are in a low income household. Find out about discounts and exemptions that may apply to you and details on how to apply for them. 

Your Council Tax band

If you're not sure what your Council Tax band is, you can check your Council Tax band on GOV.UK.

Our spending and income

Our guide to Camden's budget has more information about where Camden Council money comes from and where it's spent (PDF).

The services we provide

A pie chart showing how Camden Council spends its money on the services it provides. Described under the heading 'Services we provide'.

  • 32% - Children, schools and families
  • 23% - Vulnerable adults and older people
  • 14% - Government benefit payments and services
  • 12% - Streets, safety, leisure and open spaces
  • 8% - Support services
  • 8% - Other costs
  • 3% - public health

How our services are funded

A pie chart which shows how Camden's services are funded. Described under the heading 'How our services are funded'

  • 47% - Government funding
  • 23% - Rents, fees and other income
  • 15% - Residents' Council Tax
  • 15% - Retained business rates and revenue support grant

What we spend your Council Tax and Business Rates on

Each year, once we are aware of the amount of funding we will receive from the government, we set the level of Council Tax to meet the cost of providing council services in the borough.

This table tells you how much we plan to spend on services in the coming year and how much we spent on them last year. 

How your Council Tax and business rates are spent (in £ millions)
Our services - Council agreed budget Spending 2024/25 Total spending after deducting income 2024/25 Spending 2025/26 Total spending after deducting income 2025/26
Adult social care 183.38 133.421 194.630 143.306
Housing 37.848 22.792 39.550 24.201
Environment and Sustainability services 40.462 27.908 41.154 35.705
Environment (parking, highways and transport) 22.259 -36.073 25.723 -37.090
Regeneration, planning and economic development 15.078 -2.573 18.512 -0.335
Culture, communities and customers 27.380 19.758 39.876 25.117
Public health 28.580 24.916 25.292 25.002
Support services 76.947 71.594 83.700 78.612
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit 137.681 10.514 138.604 11.320
Education 224.448 9.668 229.365 11.650
Supporting vulnerable families 51.241 43.005 49.910 43.109
Early years and young people 42.458 20.379 47.882 24.352
Other spending 90.155 -72.901 77.493 -72.744
Total cost of our services 977.921 272.407 1,011.690 312.204

How we work out your Council Tax

The table on this page shows how we work out the amount to be met by Council Tax.

Your total bill includes an amount to cover the cost of Greater London Authority (GLA) services.

How we calculate your Council Tax
  £ in millions
Total cost of Camden services 312.204
Take away the following government grants paid towards the cost of local services:  
Revenue support grant -28.761
Retained Business rates and Relief grants -123.088
Council Tax Collection Fund Surplus -0.830
Business Rates Collection Fund Surplus -4.733
Cost of Camden Council services which Council Tax will pay for 154.792
Take away services covering only some areas of Camden (garden squares) -0.032
Cost of remaining services which Council Tax will pay for 154.760
Working out the Council Tax level for 2025/26  
Council Tax base (weighted number of properties in Camden) 95,769
Council Tax at band D equivalent £1,615.98

The formula to work out Council Tax needed (band D equivalent) is the remaining £154,760,000 needed from Council Tax divided by the Council Tax base (95,769). This results in the £1,615.98 figure.

 

Changes in spending
Changes to spending on services 2025 to 2026 £ in millions
2024/2025 cost of services 272.407
2025/26 Inflation 8.167
2024/25 Service cuts, back office efficiencies and savings -3.103
Other service adjustments 34.733
Total 2023/24 cost of service 312.204

Understanding your business rates bill

Non-Domestic Rates

Non-Domestic Rates, or Business Rates, collected by local authorities are the way that those who occupy non-domestic property contribute towards the cost of local services. Under the business rates retention arrangements introduced from 1 April 2013, authorities keep a proportion of the business rates paid locally. This provides a direct financial incentive for authorities to work with local businesses to create a favourable local environment for growth since authorities will benefit from growth in business rates revenues. The money, together with revenue from Council Tax payers, revenue support grant provided by the Government and certain other sums, is used to pay for the services provided by local authorities in your area. Further information about the business rates system, including transitional and other reliefs, may be obtained at gov.uk.

Rateable Value

Apart from properties that are exempt from business rates, each non-domestic property has a rateable value which is set by the valuation officers of the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), an agency of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs. They draw up and maintain a full list of all rateable values, available at gov.uk/government/organisations/valuation-office-agency. The rateable value of your property is shown on the front of your bill. This broadly represents the yearly rent the property could have been let for on the open market on a particular date. For the revaluation that comes into effect on 1 April 2023, this date was set as 1 April 2021.

The Valuation Officer may alter the value if circumstances change. The ratepayer (and certain others who have an interest in the property) can appeal against the value shown in the list if they believe it is wrong. Full details on your rights of appeal are available from the Valuation Office Agency. Your billing authority can only backdate any business rates rebate to the date from which any change to the list is to have effect.

Further information about the grounds on which appeals may be made and the process for doing so can be found on the gov.uk website or obtained from your local valuation office.

National Non-Domestic Rating Multiplier

The local authority works out the business rates bill for a property by multiplying the rateable value of the property by the appropriate nondomestic multiplier. There are two multipliers: the national non-domestic rating multiplier and the small business non-domestic rating multiplier. The Government sets the multipliers for each financial year, except in the City of London where special arrangements apply. Ratepayers who occupy a property with a rateable value which does not exceed £50,999 (and who are not entitled to certain other mandatory relief[s] or are liable for unoccupied property rates) will have their bills calculated using the lower small business non-domestic rating multiplier, rather than the national non-domestic rating multiplier.

Business Rates Instalments

Payment of business rate bills is automatically set on a 10-monthly cycle. However, the Government has put in place regulations that allow businesses to require their local authority to enable payments to be made through twelve monthly instalments. If you wish to accept this offer, you should contact the local authority as soon as possible.

Revaluation 2023 and Transitional Relief Arrangements

The Transitional Relief scheme is designed to limit bill increases that have been caused by significant changes in rateable values, following a revaluation. You stop getting transitional relief when your bill reaches the full amount set by it.

The Government conducted a consultation on Transitional Relief (TR) arrangements and as a result, this removed the need for “revenue-neutral transitional arrangements.” The 2023 scheme will not fund upwards transitional relief (‘upwards caps’) by restricting falls in bills to raise revenue (‘downwards caps’).

This will make the business rates system fairer and more responsive. It will allow ratepayers whose properties see a fall in their rateable value to see the benefit of the revaluation reflected in their bills immediately. The government will Exchequer fund upwards caps for the 2023 TR scheme at a cost of £1.6 billion.

 Rateable Value

2023/24 

2024/25* 

2025/26* 

Small (Rateable value up to £28k in London) 

5%

10%

25% 

Medium (Rateable value up to £28k to £100k in London) 

15% 

25% 

40% 

Large (Rateable value greater than £100k)

30%

40%

55%

 

Upwards caps

*Year 2 and 3 caps are before inflation
If you are entitled to transitional relief this will be automatically awarded and be shown on the front of your bill.

Business Rate Reliefs

Depending on individual circumstances, a ratepayer may be eligible for a rate relief (i.e., a reduction in your business rates bill). There are a range of available reliefs. Further details are provided below and at gov.uk/introduction-to-business-rates or at camden.gov.uk/businessrates

Temporary Reliefs

Some of the permanent reliefs are set out below but other temporary reliefs may be introduced by the Government at a fiscal event. Further detail on current temporary relief is available at gov.uk/introduction-to-business-rates or at camden.gov.uk/businessrates

You should contact your local authority for details on the latest availability of business rates reliefs and advice on whether you may qualify.

Unoccupied Property Rating

Business Rates are generally payable in respect of unoccupied non-domestic property. However, they are generally not payable for the first three months that a property is empty. This is extended to six months in the case of certain industrial premises, whilst certain other properties such as vacant listed buildings are not liable for business rates until they are reoccupied. Full details on exemptions can be obtained from your local authority or from gov.uk/apply-for-business-rate-relief.

Partly Occupied Property Relief

A ratepayer is liable for the full non-domestic rate whether a property is wholly occupied or only partly occupied. Where a property is partly occupied for a short time, the local authority has discretion in certain cases to award relief in respect of the unoccupied part. Full details can be obtained from the local authority.

Small Business Rate Relief

If a ratepayer’s sole or main property has a rateable value which does not exceed an amount set out in regulations, the ratepayer may receive a percentage reduction in their rates bill for this property of up to a maximum of 100%. The level of reduction will depend on the rateable value of the property – for example eligible properties below a specified lower threshold will receive 100% relief while eligible properties above the lower threshold and below a specified upper threshold may receive partial relief. The relevant thresholds for relief are set out in regulations and can be obtained from your local authority or at gov.uk/introduction-to-business-rates.

Generally, this percentage reduction (relief) is only available to ratepayers who occupy either-

(a) one property, or

 (b) one main property and other additional properties providing those additional properties each have a rateable value which does not exceed the limit set in regulations.

The aggregate rateable value of all the properties mentioned in (b), must also not exceed an amount set in regulations. For those businesses that take on an additional property which would normally have meant the loss of small business rate relief, they will be allowed to keep that relief for a fixed additional period.

Full details on the relevant limits in relation to second properties and the current period for which a ratepayer may continue to receive relief after taking on an additional property can be obtained from your local authority or at gov.uk/introduction-to-business-rates.

 Certain changes in circumstances will need to be notified to the local authority by the ratepayer who is in receipt of relief (other changes will be picked up by the local authority). The changes which should be notified are-

(a) the property falls vacant,

(b) the ratepayer taking up occupation of an additional property, and

(c) an increase in the rateable value of a property occupied by the ratepayer in an area other than the area of the local authority which granted the relief.

Charity and Community Amateur Sports Club Relief

Charities and registered Community Amateur Sports Clubs are entitled to 80% relief where the property is occupied by the charity or the club and is wholly or mainly used for the charitable purposes of the charity (or of that and other charities), or for the purposes of the club (or of that and other clubs). The local authority has discretion to give further relief on the remaining bill. Full details can be obtained from the local authority.

Business Rate Supplements

The Business Rate Supplements Act 2009 enables levying authorities – county councils, unitary district councils and, in London, the Greater London Authority – to levy a supplement on the business rate to support additional projects aimed at economic development of the area. This power has also been extended to the mayors of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Liverpool City Region, West of England, and West Midlands combined authorities. Business Rate Supplements (BRS) are not applicable to properties with a rateable value of £50,000 or below, and authorities have discretion to increase that threshold. The total maximum BRS which may be levied by a levying authority is 2p per pound of rateable value. Levying authorities have the power to apply such reliefs to the BRS as they think appropriate and in such cases must include an explanation of the rules for the application of those reliefs in the final prospectus for the BRS. The business rate supplement applicable in London is being levied by the Greater London Authority in relation to the Crossrail project, which delivered the Elizabeth line. The rateable value threshold in 2023-24 for the Crossrail BRS is £75,000. Further information may be found in the Crossrail BRS final prospectus which is available at london.gov.uk/crossrail-brs.

Rating Advisers

Ratepayers do not have to be represented in discussions about their rateable value or their rates bill. However, ratepayers who do wish to be represented should be aware that members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS - website rics.org) and the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation (IRRV - website irrv.org.uk) are qualified and are regulated by rules of professional conduct designed to protect the public from misconduct. Before you employ a rating adviser, you should check that they have the necessary knowledge and expertise, as well as appropriate indemnity insurance. Take great care and, if necessary, seek further advice before entering into any contract.

Information Supplied with Demand Notices

Information relating to the relevant and previous financial years in regard to the gross expenditure of the local authority is available in the other sections on this page. A hard copy is available on request by writing to the council or at 020 7974 6460.

Subsidy Control

The new UK subsidy control regime commenced from 4 January 2023. The new regime enables public authorities, including devolved administrations and local authorities, to deliver subsidies that are tailored for local needs. Public authorities giving subsidies must comply with the UK’s international subsidy control commitments. The subsidy control legislation provides the framework for a new, UK-wide subsidy control regime. Further information about subsidy control can be found on the gov.uk website at: gov.uk/government/collections/subsidy-control-regime.

 

The Adult Social Care Precept

The Secretary of State made an offer to adult social care authorities. (“Adult social care authorities” are local authorities which have functions under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, namely county councils in England, district councils for an area in England for which there is no county council, London borough councils, the Common Council of the City of London and the Council of the Isles of Scilly.)

The offer was the option of an adult social care authority being able to charge an additional “precept” on its Council Tax without holding a referendum, to assist the authority in meeting its expenditure on adult social care from the financial year 2016-17. It was originally made in respect of the financial years up to and including 2019-20. This offer has been extended in the financial years since, up to and including 2025-26 where an additional 2% increase has been applied to Council Tax bills. 

Please note that for the 2025/26 financial year onwards, central government have mandated that your Council Tax bill must show the combined core Camden precept charge and adult social care precept charge as 1 combined figure in the breakdown of your charge on the back of your bill, rather than shown as separate figures as in previous years. 

Paying your Council Tax or Business Rates

How to pay your Council Tax

How to pay your Business Rates 

Support with paying Council Tax

If you’re worried about paying your Council Tax, please get in touch with us on 020 7974 4444.

If you earn less than £623.25 per week, you may be eligible for a discount through our Council Tax Support scheme.

Council Tax Support

We have a number of other discounts and exemptions for eligible households such as those living on their own (single persons discount), students, disabled persons who have had certain permanent adaptations to their home and residents certified by their GP as suffering from severe mental impairment and receiving qualifying benefits from central government.  For more information on assistance you may be eligible for to reduce your Council Tax bill visit: 

Council Tax discounts and exemptions

Support with paying Business Rates

If you’re worried about paying your business rates, please contact the Business Rates team.

We also have a number of reliefs and exemptions you may be eligible for depending on the type of business (such as eligible retail, hospitality and leisure premises being eligible for relief of up to 40% off your bill) or the rateable value of your property (such as small business rates relief).   

If you feel your rateable value (set by a central government body which determines your annual charge and eligibility for some reliefs) is too high, you can appeal directly to the Valuation Office Agency

Details of the discounts and exemptions available and further information on your rateable value and how you can appeal this directly with the Valuation Office Agency (a separate independent central government body from Camden Council who set the rateable values for all commercial properties nationally) is available at: 

Discounts and exemptions for Business Rates  

Further support available

If you’re worried about money or accessing food, or need housing advice or mental health support, we are here to help.

Support for Camden residents

We are aware our business community also face struggles in the current cost of living crisis too. The following page details support available both direct from Camden Council as well as other useful help, advice and support available from external partners and organisations.  

Cost of living support for Camden businesses