Council tax
Council tax bands in Reading 2026/27
- Band D in Reading: £2,613 a year from April 2026
- £261 a month over the usual 10 payments
- £218 a month if you pay over 12
- Band A, the lowest: £1,742 a year
Not sure of your band? Look up an address
Official figures for April 2026 to March 2027 · England · Independent, not a council service
Paying too much council tax? We compare your band with similar homes on your street to see if you could lower your council tax or claim back payments from the council.
Council tax band check — £3.99Reading council tax by band, 2026/27
| Band | Value in April 1991 | A year | Over 10 months | Over 12 months | Homes here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band A | Up to £40,000 | £1,742 | £174 | £145 | |
| Band B | £40,001 to £52,000 | £2,032 | £203 | £169 | |
| Band C | £52,001 to £68,000 | £2,322 | £232 | £194 | |
| Band D | £68,001 to £88,000 | £2,613 | £261 | £218 | |
| Band E | £88,001 to £120,000 | £3,193 | £319 | £266 | |
| Band F | £120,001 to £160,000 | £3,774 | £377 | £315 | |
| Band G | £160,001 to £320,000 | £4,355 | £435 | £363 | |
| Band H | Over £320,000 | £5,226 | £523 | £435 |
Explanation of the figures
For two adults, including the average parish charge. Most councils bill in 10 monthly payments, usually April to January; you can ask for 12 instead, which makes each one smaller.
“Homes here” is the share of Reading’s homes in each band, from the Valuation Office Agency. Bands depend on what a home was worth in April 1991, not today.
Moving to Reading?
- Some privately rented homes in Reading need a council licence. Check which areas and homes.
- On Universal Credit or Housing Benefit? Local Housing Allowance rates in Reading, the most it pays towards rent.
- Council tax when you move house: who to tell, and when the new bill starts.
- Living alone? The single person discount takes 25% off the bill.
- Renting for the first time? The steps, and what to check before you sign, including the certificates your landlord must give you.
Reading council tax at a glance
Band D in Reading is £2,613 a year for 2026/27, £221 above the England average of £2,392: the 27th highest of 296 councils in England, and the 8th highest of 64 in South East.
That is £126 (5.1%) more than in 2025/26, more than the 4.9% rise across England.
More homes in Reading are in Band C than any other (41%), where the bill is £2,322 a year. 29% of homes are in Bands A or B, against 43% across England.
Of a Band D bill, £2,223 (85%) goes to Reading council and the rest to Thames Valley Police and Berkshire Combined Fire Authority.
Band D in Reading is higher than in all 6 of its nearest councils. Windsor and Maidenhead has the lowest Band D of them at £1,953 and South Oxfordshire the highest at £2,598.
Homes in each band
The darker bar is the most common band in Reading. From the Valuation Office Agency.
Where a Band D bill in Reading goes
The council’s share includes the average parish charge and, where it has one, the adult social care precept. Other bands pay the same split.
Council tax near Reading
Band D a year in Reading and the nearest councils, highest first. Moving a few miles can change the bill by hundreds of pounds a year for the same band.
The dashed line is the England average Band D, £2,392. Every council in England.
Use this chart on your site
Free for news sites, blogs, letting agents and anyone writing about Reading. Paste the code into your page, or download the image. Please keep the source line.
Renting in Reading: council tax questions
What are the council tax bands in Reading?
For April 2026 to March 2027, council tax in Reading is £1,742 for Band A, £2,032 for Band B, £2,322 for Band C, £2,613 for Band D, £3,193 for Band E, £3,774 for Band F, £4,355 for Band G, £5,226 for Band H, a year. These are the official averages for two adults, including the police, fire and any county or mayor’s share, and the average parish charge.
How much is it if I live alone?
A single adult gets 25% off. In Reading that brings Band C, the most common band here, from £2,322 to £1,742 a year, and Band D to £1,960. A home where everyone is a full-time student pays nothing.
Check a home’s band: GOV.UK council tax band search, or our guide to council tax bands. Think yours is wrong? How to challenge your band, free. Who pays in a shared house: who pays council tax when renting. Why a bill can differ from these averages, and when charges change: council tax bands in every council. Rents, licensing and the areas people rent in: renting in Reading.
Where these figures come from
MHCLG council tax levels, 2026/27 and 2025/26; homes in each band from the VOA’s stock of properties (31 March 2026). Open Government Licence v3.0. Averages for the council area, not a bill. Independent, not connected with Reading council.
Check the property
Run a free check on the property before you commit.
Found a home in Reading? A free check shows the energy rating, flood risk and crime for the address. Complete RenterCheck adds its council tax band and what the home will really cost each month.