Reading · unitary council · South East · 2026-27
How much is council tax in Reading?
Area average, including parish precepts. In 6 published bills we checked, figures were within £34; yours also depends on your parish and discounts. How the figures work
- Reading council£2,223.18
- Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner£298.28
- Berkshire Combined Fire Authority£91.31
Council tax bands in Reading, 2026-27
Area averages including parish precepts. Every band pays a fixed share of Band D.
| Band | Per year | Per month (10 payments) | Ratio to D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band A | £1,741.85 | £174.19 | 6/9 |
| Band B | £2,032.15 | £203.22 | 7/9 |
| Band C most common here | £2,322.46 | £232.25 | 8/9 |
| Band D | £2,612.77 | £261.28 | 9/9 |
| Band E | £3,193.39 | £319.34 | 11/9 |
| Band F | £3,774.00 | £377.40 | 13/9 |
| Band G | £4,354.62 | £435.46 | 15/9 |
| Band H | £5,225.54 | £522.55 | 18/9 |
Not sure of your band?
We cannot look up individual homes. The Valuation Office Agency checker on GOV.UK gives the band for any address in Reading.
Council tax by band in Reading, 2026-27
Average for the council area, including parish precepts; the tick is the England average for the band
- this council, each band
- Band D, the band every charge is set from
- England average for the band
View as table
| Band | Per year | 10 payments of | 12 payments of | England average | Ratio to D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band A | £1,741.85 | £174.19 | £145.15 | £1,594.35 | 6/9 |
| Band B | £2,032.15 | £203.22 | £169.35 | £1,860.07 | 7/9 |
| Band C | £2,322.46 | £232.25 | £193.54 | £2,125.80 | 8/9 |
| Band D | £2,612.77 | £261.28 | £217.73 | £2,391.52 | 9/9 |
| Band E | £3,193.39 | £319.34 | £266.12 | £2,922.97 | 11/9 |
| Band F | £3,774.00 | £377.40 | £314.50 | £3,454.42 | 13/9 |
| Band G | £4,354.62 | £435.46 | £362.88 | £3,985.87 | 15/9 |
| Band H | £5,225.54 | £522.55 | £435.46 | £4,783.04 | 18/9 |
Reading in 2026-27
For 2026-27 the average Band D council tax across Reading is £2,612.77, up 5.1% (£125.66) on 2025-26. Of that, Reading council's own charge is £2,223.18, of which £42.35 is this year's adult social care increase. The rest goes to Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner, Berkshire Combined Fire Authority.
The most common band here is Band C (41% of homes), which costs £2,322.46 a year at the area average.
The average bill actually charged per home, after discounts and exemptions, is £2,142.11 (MHCLG, 2026-27).
Where a Band D bill in Reading goes
£2,612.77 a year at Band D, by the body that sets each part
- Reading council£2,223.1885%
- Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner£298.2811%
- Berkshire Combined Fire Authority£91.313%
View as table
| Goes to | Band D | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reading council | £2,223.18 | 85.1% |
| Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner | £298.28 | 11.4% |
| Berkshire Combined Fire Authority | £91.31 | 3.5% |
| Total | £2,612.77 | 100% |
Band D in Reading since 1993
Average area Band D each year, including parish precepts; the line is the England average
- this council, average Band D
- England average
View as table
| Year | Reading | England |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | £2,612.77 | £2,391.52 |
| 2025-26 | £2,487.11 | £2,280.21 |
| 2024-25 | £2,367.47 | £2,170.99 |
| 2023-24 | £2,256.25 | £2,065.05 |
| 2022-23 | £2,144.95 | £1,965.71 |
| 2021-22 | £2,076.83 | £1,898.48 |
| 2020-21 | £1,976.04 | £1,817.67 |
| 2019-20 | £1,899.79 | £1,749.88 |
| 2018-19 | £1,826.63 | £1,671.46 |
| 2017-18 | £1,723.33 | £1,590.55 |
| 2016-17 | £1,647.82 | £1,529.56 |
| 2015-16 | £1,589.36 | £1,483.58 |
| 2014-15 | £1,559.42 | £1,467.98 |
| 2013-14 | £1,531.34 | £1,455.60 |
| 2012-13 | £1,498.76 | £1,444.13 |
| 2011-12 | £1,498.76 | £1,439.33 |
| 2010-11 | £1,498.76 | £1,439.22 |
| 2009-10 | £1,467.43 | £1,413.84 |
| 2008-09 | £1,409.96 | £1,373.08 |
| 2007-08 | £1,379.33 | £1,321.32 |
| 2006-07 | £1,330.32 | £1,267.91 |
| 2005-06 | £1,270.10 | £1,213.81 |
| 2004-05 | £1,212.37 | £1,166.56 |
| 2003-04 | £1,156.31 | £1,101.75 |
| 2002-03 | £1,050.65 | £975.56 |
| 2001-02 | £961.55 | £901.33 |
| 2000-01 | £908.47 | £847.00 |
| 1999-00 | £868.13 | £798.00 |
| 1998-99 | £822.11 | £747.00 |
| 1997-98 | £706.40 | £688.00 |
| 1996-97 | £696.26 | £646.00 |
| 1995-96 | £609.75 | £609.00 |
| 1994-95 | £592.88 | £580.11 |
| 1993-94 | £607.50 | £567.95 |
Homes in each band in Reading
Share of the 77,920 homes on the valuation list at 31 March 2026; the tick is England
- share of homes
- most common band (C)
View as table
| Band | Homes | Share | England share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band A | 7,250 | 9.3% | 23.6% |
| Band B | 15,080 | 19.4% | 19.5% |
| Band C | 31,750 | 40.7% | 22.0% |
| Band D | 12,430 | 16.0% | 15.7% |
| Band E | 5,980 | 7.7% | 9.9% |
| Band F | 3,420 | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Band G | 1,910 | 2.5% | 3.5% |
| Band H | 100 | 0.1% | 0.6% |
Parishes
Reading has no parish or town councils that set a precept, so every Band D home in the area pays £2,612.77 before any discount.
Questions
- What is Band D council tax in Reading?
- £2,612.77 for 2026-27, the average for the area including parish precepts. In an area with no parish precept it is about £2,612.77.
- How much is Band A council tax in Reading?
- £1,741.85 a year, or £174.19 a month over 10 payments.
- How much did council tax go up in Reading?
- Band D is up 5.1% (£125.66) on 2025-26. The council's own part changed by +5.0%.
- Is Reading cheaper than average?
- Reading ranks 270 of 296 councils by Band D, where 1 is the lowest. The England average is £2,391.52.
Nearby councils
Data: MHCLG, VOA, ONS, 2026-27 releases, under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Sources and method