Daily Junction.mobi portalCouncil tax is based on property values from 1991 (England and Scotland) or 2003 (Wales), divided into bands A–H, with band D averaging £2,065 per year in England. The bill is split between your local council (around 75%), police (12%), and fire service (3%). Discounts include 25% for single occupants, 50% for all-student households, and exemptions for properties occupied only by under-18s or severely mentally impaired people. You can appeal your council tax band if you believe your property is in the wrong band, but successful appeals are rare (around 10%) and can result in your band going up. Council tax has risen by 52% in real terms since 2010, while council budgets have been cut by 21%, forcing councils to raise taxes and cut services. Council tax is controversial because it is regressive, based on outdated values, and varies widely by area. Alternatives include land value tax, local income tax, and revaluation, but no government has been willing to reform the system. Council tax is unpopular, unfair, and outdated, but it raises £40 billion per year and funds essential local services. Without it, councils would collapse.