Every household in Portsmouth has to pay Council Tax. The amount you pay depends on the band of your property and the number of adults who are living there. In some circumstances, Council Tax does not have to be paid in full. You can view information about discounts and exemptions here.
Council Tax support scheme
If you are on low income you may be able to receive help to pay your Council Tax. You can view information about how to apply for Council Tax support here, or call us on 023 9283 4556.
Changes in circumstances
If you are already receiving:
- council tax support,
- a discount or exemption,
- or any other reduction
and your circumstances change, you must let us know within 21 days of the change. If you fail to do so, you may receive a penalty.
You can view more about changes you need to tell us here.
How to pay your council tax bill
Your bill can be payed over instalments. Payment is due on the 1st of each month, unless you choose to pay by Direct Debit.
You can pay your Council Tax over 12 instalments, from April to March. If you want to do this, sign up to the Council Tax portal and set up a Direct Debit.
If you ask to change to 12-monthly payments mid-year, we will give you the maximum number of instalments remaining for that financial year.
Methods of payment
Direct Debit
To pay by Direct Debit, sign in to the Council Tax portal where you can set up Direct Debit payments.
Pay by bank transfer or BACS
You will need to quote your reference number and our bank details:
- Account name: Portsmouth City Council
- Account number: 23526623
- Sort code: 20-69-57
Paying by debit card
- You can pay Council Tax online here
- You can use our automated telephone number 0800 876 6576
- You can pay by phone on 023 9268 8588 between 9am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. Lines may be busy and there may be long waiting times
Paying by post
Send your payment to:
Portsmouth City Council
Civic Offices
Guildhall Square
Portsmouth
PO1 2BE
Cheques should be made payable to ‘Portsmouth City Council’ and have the Council Tax reference number on the back. You won’t get a receipt for a postal payment unless you specifically request one.
In person
You can pay in person by cheque, cash or debit card at the Civic Offices or at any Portsmouth City Council housing office. There are also self-serve payment machines at the Civic Offices.
Other information
You can find further information about how Council Tax is calculated here. You can also view the Council Tax guide.
If you need to contact us you can
- Contact us online here
- Call us on 023 9268 8588
Accessibility
We want all our customers to be able to access our services. If you have a disability or find it difficult to access our services and need us to make reasonable adjustments, please let us know and we will do everything we can to help.
Data and privacy
Portsmouth City Council is a registered Data Controller (Registration Number Z5578313). Portsmouth City Council tries to meet the highest standards when collecting and using personal information in accordance with data protection law. The details you provide will be held in a secure system or database and will only be shared with authorised council staff and other organisations where the law allows.
You should be aware that we may be required to disclose your personal information without your consent for the purposes of protecting the council’s legitimate interests (for example, to recover debts that are owed to Portsmouth City Council), to fulfil a legal obligation (such as bringing empty properties back into use) or for the purposes of preventing or detecting crime/fraud or apprehending and prosecuting offenders (for example to the Police, the Cabinet Office or Department for Work and Pensions, or as part of the National Fraud Initiative) or where we have a statutory duty to do so.
You can view further information about: