Your Guide to Your Council Tax

We all use public services. Some are provided by authorities covering the whole of Hampshire, while others are provided by local borough or district councils.

Some of the funding for these services comes from government grants which include contributions from business rates.

The rest is paid for by your Council Tax and income generated by, for example, rents, investments and service charges.

Part of your Council Tax funds services such as waste collection and kerbside recycling, street cleaning, housing, and community and leisure services, provided by Test Valley Borough Council. Your Council Tax also helps fund services from Hampshire County Council, such as:

• support for children and families

• street lighting and highways care

• waste disposal

• care and support for older people and people with disabilities

• adult social care.

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire is responsible for overseeing and scrutinising policing in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and is part funded from Council Tax. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Authority also receives a proportion of Council Tax to prevent fires and other risks, to protect life and property and to respond to emergencies. Local authorities with adult social care duties are able to charge an additional amount of Council Tax in relation to those responsibilities. In Test Valley, Hampshire County Council is the adult social care authority.

Hampshire County Council’s Band D Council Tax therefore consists of a main Council Tax charge of £1,312.32 and an adult social care charge of £220.92. For more information, please visit www.hants.gov.uk/counciltax

The total amount payable for a property in Council Tax Band D this year is £2041.45. A summary of how your Council Tax is divided between these organisations is shown on your Council Tax bill.These figures exclude parish precepts, details of these can be found in the Council Tax Charges link to the right.

Further information including links to each organisation and financial reports are included to the right of this page.