On this page
Make a payment
What happens when you don’t pay?
Request a payment arrangement online
Attachment of Earnings Order
Enforcement agent (bailiff) action
Contact us
If you have missed a Council Tax payment, and haven’t yet received a reminder from us, you can make a payment now to bring your account up to date.
Make a payment online and bring your account up to date.
It is a criminal offence not to pay your Council Tax. There are five steps we can take if Council Tax payments are missed. These include reminders, notices and court actions which can result in enforcement agent (bailiff) action, Attachment of Earnings / Benefits Orders or even a prison sentence. Each step explained below will help you understand what to expect and how to avoid further costs.
If we have your mobile number we will send a text reminding you to pay. These are usually sent 2-3 days after the payment has been missed.
If you miss a payment, we’ll send you a reminder notice letter. These are usually sent one week after the payment is missed. The reminder will give you seven days to make payment and bring your account up to date. We will only send you a maximum of two reminder notices in any financial year.
If you fail to pay after receiving a reminder notice, you will be issued a Magistrates Court Summons and lose your right to pay Council Tax in monthly instalments. The issue of a Magistrates Court Summons will also add recovery costs to your account.
If you paid both the first and second reminders, but miss the next regular payment, we will send you a final notice. These are usually sent one week after the payment date has been missed. You will be asked to pay the full outstanding balance within seven days.
If you are struggling to pay, you can contact us to make a payment arrangement.
If you fail to pay or make an arrangement, a Magistrates Court Summons will be issued against all people named on the Council Tax account. This means you will also lose your right to pay Council Tax in monthly instalments. The issue of a Magistrates Court Summons will also add recovery costs to your account.
If you do not pay after receiving a final notice, you will be issued with a Magistrates Courts Summons. You will need to pay the full outstanding balance, plus a summons cost of £100, within 14 days. If you pay within this time, before the court hearing date, no further action will be taken.
If you fail to pay the full balance including the additional cost, we will apply for a Liability Order to be issued against all people named on the Council Tax account. The issue of a Liability Order will add a further recovery cost of £43 to your account.
If you do not make full payment by the court summons hearing date, you will be issued with a Liability Order. You will need to pay the full outstanding balance, including the court summons fee of £100, and an additional Liability Order cost of £43.
A Liability Order is a legal process that allows us to recover the debt, including additional costs, from you in several ways including:
You can appeal against a Liability Order if you have a valid defence. You may have a valid defence if any of the following apply:
You can request an arrangement through your online Council Tax account. You will be able to choose the start date of your arrangement, the instalment amount and whether you want to pay by Direct Debit. Your request will be reviewed and we will inform you if it has been accepted.
Log in to your Bills and Benefits account. On the ‘My Services’ tab, select ‘Show Details’ from the Council Tax summary box. On the next page you can access the ‘Make an Arrangement’ form – it is located on the right hand side of the page.
Please note, if we don’t already have one you will need to provide a phone number to complete the form.
Request an arrangementFor those that can’t access online services, you can request an arrangement by calling the Council Tax team on 0118 937 3727, open from 9am to 5pm.
An Attachment of Earnings Order means we can order your employer to deduct money from your pay. The amount we can deduct depends on your take home pay and is set by the Government.
Deductions are based on net pay. Employers must refer to the table below when calculating deductions.
| Daily earnings after tax | Weekly earnings after tax | Monthly earnings after tax | Percentage of earnings taken |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to £11 | Up to £75 | Up to £300 | 0% |
| £11 to £20 | £75 to £135 | £300 to £550 | 3% |
| £20 to £27 | £135 to £185 | £550 to £740 | 5% |
| £27 to £33 | £185 to £225 | £740 to £900 | 7% |
| £33 to £52 | £225 to £355 | £900 to £1,420 | 12% |
| £52 to £72 | £355 to £505 | £1,420 to £2,020 | 17% |
| Over £72 | Over £505 | Over £2,020 | 17 to 50%* |
*We’ll take 17% of the first:
We’ll take 50% of any money earned over these amounts for that day, week or month.
Once an account is passed to enforcement agents (bailiffs), every letter sent and any visits made to you will add further cost to the total amount you owe.
Reading Borough Council uses three enforcement agents (bailiffs). If you receive any correspondence from them, you must pay them in full or contact them to make an arrangement.
Bristow and Sutor
Bristow and Sutor website
0871 677 0070
Equita
Equita website
01604 208 360
Rundles
Rundles website
0800 0816 000
If you have a question about recovery action, please contact using our online form.
Contact us about recoveryIf you are struggling to pay or looking for further advice on how to manage your money, visit our Money Matters advice and support pages.