Date of Payment
Payment of Council Tax instalments must be received by the Council by the date shown on the bill. This is normally ten monthly instalments which are due on the first day of each month between 1 April and 1 January.
Instalments
Council Tax can be paid in full by 1 April each year or the cost can be spread in a number of ways:
You can make payment by: Direct Debit, Standing Order, Cash, Cheque, Postal Order, Post Office swipecard, internet secure server, phone, post or in person.
Please note that a payment made at a Bank, Building Society or Post Office can take up to ten days to reach your Council Tax account, so if you have paid in this way then you receive a reminder, final notice or summons, contact Carlisle City Council on 01228 817200 immediately.
Your bill shows you how much and when to pay. For Council Tax the law states that the minimum instalment value must be £5. The government introduced this rule in order to help keep collection costs to a minimum. Those people who have less than £50 a year to pay, will not make the usual 10 payments because of the instalment value rule. For example, if you owe £35 you would only have 7 instalments of £5 rather than 10 payments of £3.50.
Bills issued after 31st December are due 14 days after issue.
If you do not pay an instalment within 14 days of the due date a reminder notice will be issued. Only two such notices can be issued in any one financial year, so if an instalment is missed for a third time you will be sent a 'final notice' for the full remaining amount due for the year. Further non-payment will result in the issue of a summons with additional costs of at least £55.00.
