Martin Lewis reveals easy methods to save £1,000s on council tax in three steps

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Your assist makes all of the distinction. Learn extra Martin Lewis has shared his suggestions for making financial savings doubtlessly value hundreds by means of some little-known council tax hacks.

As payments proceed to rise in 2026, the cash skilled has suggested households that they may very well be overpaying on the native authority levy, providing three key methods to test.

His recommendation comes at an important time, with council tax payments set to extend throughout England and Wales in April by the utmost quantity as soon as once more.

Reductions on council tax can be found for a number of causes, whereas property bands can truly be challenged beneath sure circumstances to cut back month-to-month prices.

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/11/04/21/28/Martin-Lewis-issues-urgent-advice-to-millions-affected-by-O2-price-hike.jpeg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/11/04/21/28/Martin-Lewis-issues-urgent-advice-to-millions-affected-by-O2-price-hike.jpeg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/11/04/21/28/Martin-Lewis-issues-urgent-advice-to-millions-affected-by-O2-price-hike.jpeg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="Martin Lewis has shared his tips to lower council tax bills" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> open picture in gallery

Martin Lewis has shared his tricks to decrease council tax payments (Martin Lewis Cash Present/ITV) Mr Lewis lately revealed on his Cash Present Dwell (ITV) that one viewer had saved “simply wanting £6,000” by means of this technique, after the council tax band on the property she had lived in since 1994 was revised.

The cash skilled stated: “£6,000 is middling for the successes I get. I’ve seen 10, 11, 12 thousand. This is essential to do”.

Right here’s are Mr Lewis’s prime three tricks to minimize council tax in 2026:

Problem council tax band

One of many key methods individuals can cut back their council tax is by guaranteeing they're within the appropriate property band, which decides the speed at which they pay the levy.

Hundreds of individuals had been capable of problem the federal government on their property’s council tax band in 2023/24 (when the info was final revealed) leading to a decrease council tax invoice.

Of the 43,820 those who requested for a revaluation on this interval, almost 1,000 had been capable of decrease their band by two locations or extra, official figures from the Valuation Workplace Company (VOA) present.

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Evaluation by Mr Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert.co.uk has estimated that round 400,000 households are within the mistaken band – and so paying an excessive amount of in council tax – and will contemplate making a problem.

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/04/30/21/41/housing-stock-london-terraced.jpeg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/04/30/21/41/housing-stock-london-terraced.jpeg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/04/30/21/41/housing-stock-london-terraced.jpeg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="Council tax bills are set to increase across England and Wales in April" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> open picture in gallery

Council tax payments are set to extend throughout England and Wales in April (Getty Pictures) If profitable, the family won't solely be due a decrease invoice going ahead, however probably even an enormous backdated payout for on a regular basis they had been paying the mistaken stage of tax.

The banding system is usually criticised for being outdated, as the worth of properties stays based mostly on an evaluation carried out in 1991. These values have modified dramatically in recent times, with some areas seeing huge spikes in property worth, and others seeing drops.

Nevertheless, revaluations usually are not based mostly on at this time’s costs, however nonetheless based mostly on 1991 market charges. Which means the VOA will take the bodily traits of a property into consideration, slightly than at this time’s worth.

Due to this, the company can truly place the property into the next tax band if it believes the worth has turn out to be larger because it was final checked.

In very unfortunate instances, a revaluation might additionally end in neighbouring properties being positioned into the next band.

Examine for reductions or assist

There are a number of reductions that may be claimed on council tax for eligible households value as much as 100 per cent, however they should be utilized for in most cases.

Some of the widespread is for individuals who reside in a property alone, which means they will declare a 25 per cent low cost on their council tax.

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/10/07/10/01/Martin-Lewis-shares-six-digit-code-you-need-if-your-phone-gets-stolen.jpeg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/10/07/10/01/Martin-Lewis-shares-six-digit-code-you-need-if-your-phone-gets-stolen.jpeg?quality=75&width=320&crop=3%3A2%2Csmart&trim=0%2C56%2C0%2C55&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/10/07/10/01/Martin-Lewis-shares-six-digit-code-you-need-if-your-phone-gets-stolen.jpeg?quality=75&width=640&crop=3%3A2%2Csmart&trim=0%2C56%2C0%2C55&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="Martin Lewis has shared his tips to lower council tax bills" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> open picture in gallery

Martin Lewis has shared his tricks to decrease council tax payments (This Morning/ITV) College students households are eligible for a 100 per cent low cost on council tax, alongside adults thought-about to be severely mentally impaired (SMI). Within the case that an SMI grownup resides with a live-in carer, the low cost is decreased to 50 per cent.

Councils additionally provide a discretionary discount for these dealing with extreme hardship which implies they're unable to afford their council tax invoice.

That is finished on a council-by-council foundation, so eligibility differs, however typically will embody having earnings beneath a set stage, claiming sure advantages, and probably having an sickness or incapacity.

Reclaiming overpaid council tax

Lastly, people are capable of reclaim overpaid council tax from an authority for funds of £100-plus.

MoneySavingExpert.co.uk studies that £141 million is owed to council tax-payers throughout 349 native authority areas in England, Scotland and Wales, with over 800,000 households affected.

There are numerous causes an individual may very well be owed. As an illustration, they may pay their council tax upfront after which transfer home, or neglect to cancel a cost.

A tax payer might even be owed a retrospective low cost if a property they beforehand lived in has been re-banded, which means they had been overpaying when residing there.