Manage your Council Tax online
On this page
Create an online Bills and Benefits account
Managing your Council Tax offline
Late or missed payments
Frequently asked questions
Log in to your Bills and Benefits account
Manage your Council Tax account online. View bills, manage payments and set up or amend a Direct Debit.
Create an online Bills and Benefits account
An online Bills and Benefits account is the easiest and quickest way to manage Council Tax payments and keep track of bills. We recommend having one so you can:
Before you start
You will need your Council Tax account number to complete the first step of creating an account. You can find this at the top of your bill.
If you are a new resident and do not have a Council Tax account number, please visit Getting started as a new resident and follow the steps.
Account verification
Before your account set up is complete, you will need to verify your account. You can verify your account in two ways:
Security questions
We will ask about specific payment amounts and dates. If you do not have any Council Tax bills yet, you won’t be able to answer the questions. Instead, you will need to verify your account using a verification PIN.
Verification PIN
If using this method of security, we will email you a verification PIN. If we do not have an email address, we will send a verification PIN to you in the post.
It can take up to 5 working days to receive your PIN. Once you have received your PIN, you will need to log in to your Bills and Benefits account and complete the verification.
Start managing your Council Tax online
An online Bills and Benefits account is the easiest and quickest way to manage payments and keep track of bills.
Managing your Council Tax offline
You can check your balance, update account information, apply for discounts and make arrangements by contacting us:
- by phone: 01189 37 37 27 open weekdays 9am to 5pm
- in writing: PO Box 26, Civic Offices, Reading, RG1 2LU
Late or missed payments
If you miss a payment, we will start sending you reminder texts and letters about the unpaid amount. If you haven’t received a reminder yet, you can pay online now to bring your account up to date.
If you have received a reminder, are having trouble keeping up with payments, or a Direct Debit payment has been declined, please visit our missed payments and recovery page for information on what to do next.
Frequently asked questions
I am new to the area, how do I register for Council Tax?
Visit our getting started as a new resident page for instructions on how to get set up.
I can’t find my Council Tax account number, what shall I do?
You can find your Council Tax account number on your bill, in the top left corner. It will be an 8-digit number.
If you still can’t locate your Council Tax account number, please email council.taxreply@reading.gov.uk or call 0118 937 3727 from 9am to 5pm.
What should I do if I’ve forgotten my password?
What if I no longer use the email I set up my account with?
You will need to create a new account with an email address you have access to.
Why can’t I verify my account?
We might not have enough information to verify you yet. Please request a PIN when registering for your account instead.
How will I get my PIN?
We will send your PIN by email or post, depending on what contact information we have. This may take up to 5 working days.
Can you email me my bill?
No, for security reasons you need to log in to your account to view your bill.
My Council Tax account has more than one name, can I create an account?
Yes, each person named on the bill can create their own Bills and Benefits account. When you register, enter your name as it appears on your Council Tax bill.
Can I register for more than one Bills and Benefits account?
Yes, after you create an account you will have the option to create another one.
Why haven’t I received my password reset email?
It’s possible the email address you’re using is not linked to an existing account. Please create a new account to get started.
Last updated on 20/12/2024
Manage your Council Tax online