Braintree District Council income

Figures for 2025/26

£21.2m - Total funding

• 58% - £12.2m - Council Tax payers
• 40% - £8.5m - Business Ratepayers
• 2% - £0.5m - Central Government Grants

Braintree District Council spending plan 2025/2026

• Refuse and Recycling - £4.0m
• Parks, Cemeteries and Landscapes - £2.6m
• Planning and Development - £2.3m
• Street Cleaning and Litter Control - £2.1m
• Environmental and Regulatory Services - £1.6m
• Democracy and Elections - £1.6m
• Housing and Homelessness - £1.5m
• Support Services (including ICT, HR, legal, finance, property and communications) - £1.3m
• Local Tax and Benefits - £1.3m
• Community Services and Support - £0.9m
• Economic Development - £0.8m
• Cultural and Leisure - £0.6m
• Corporate financing - £0.6m

What your Parish or Town Council receives

The table below shows the Council Tax requirement for each Parish and Town Council, based on a Band D charge. Where a Parish or Town Council raises more than £140,000 from its local taxpayers, it must publish extra information about its spending plans. The spending plans for Coggeshall, Earls Colne, Halstead, Hatfield Peverel, Kelvedon, and Witham councils can be found on our website.

The results are shown as follows:

Parish or Town: Band D

Empty Homes

What is empty homes premium?

The Government is keen to ensure that dwellings do not remain unoccupied or unused for extensive periods. Unfortunately, it remains the case that nationally, a distressing number of dwellings are being left empty at a time when there is an overall housing shortage. There are currently 764 properties across our district which have been unoccupied for more than 1 year.

Therefore, to encourage home owners to bring properties back into use, a Council Tax premium will be charged on empty homes after a period of 1 year. Certain exemptions will apply and full details of these will be published on the Council’s website.

The premium charges:

• After 1 year, a premium of 100% will be applied in addition to the full (100%) charge.
• After 5 years but less than 10 years, a premium of 200% will be applied in addition to the full (100%) charge.
• After 10 year, a premium of 300% will be applied in addition to the full (100%) charge.

These premiums are incurred from the date the property became unoccupied and substantially unfurnished and relate to the property not the ownership of that property.

Second Home premium

A second home property is an empty but substantially furnished property. Braintree Council has resolved that with effect from 1 April 2025, a premium of 100% will be added to all second home charges in addition to the full (100%) charge.

Exceptions to Premiums

There will be certain exceptions to the Empty and Second Homes premiums – for full details of these please see our empty homes policy.

For full details of Braintree Council’s empty homes policy please visit our website.

Empty Properties Can:

• Attract crime, arson and vandalism
• Cause damage to neighbouring properties
• Encourage pest and vermin infestations
• Devalue neighbouring properties by around 20%
• Be a wasted resource (particularly when considering rising homelessness)
• Make communities seem untidy and uncared for
• Be a source of worry and hassle for owners and neighbours

Cost to Owners:

• Expensive repair and maintenance bills
• Council Tax charges of 200% when empty more than one year, rising to up to 400%
• Higher risk of break-in/damages
• Loss of potential rental income
• Utility standing charges
• Higher insurance
• Possible enforcement action by the local authority

If you would like free information on bringing an empty home back into use contact:

• 01376 552525 Ext 2152
• emptyhomes@braintree.gov.uk
• Visit the empty homes section on our website.

Advantages of bringing an empty property back into use:

• Can provide a rental income (on average £12k per year)
• Reduce the risk of vandalism or damage
• Increase the value of the property
• Provide more housing to help meet the housing needs
• Make the property more appealing to buyers
• Reduce the risk of squatters
• Save money (fewer repairs, no utility costs and Council Tax liability if property is rented out)
• Has a positive impact on the local environment and community

Discount and exemption changes

You must tell us within 21 days about anything that could affect an exemption or discount you receive. If you fail to tell us in this timescale you may be subject to a £70 penalty.

I live on my own, am I entitled to a discount?

Your Council Tax bill assumes two adults are living in your household.

*We will reduce your bill by 25% if you are the only adult over the age of 18 residing at your main residence.*

• full-time students, student nurses, apprentices and youth trainees
• people who live in hospital
• people who are being looked after in care homes
• people who are severely mentally disabled
• people staying in some hostels or night shelters
• 18 and 19-year-olds who are at or have just left school
• care workers working for low pay (usually for a charity)
• people caring for someone with a disability who is not their partner, or their child (a child is someone under 18).

Exempt properties

Some properties are exempt from Council Tax. The exemption depends on the property class and can be for occupied and unoccupied properties. We have full guidance on the different property classes that may be exempt on our website or you can contact our Revenues team.

If you apply for a Council Tax exemption you must continue to pay your Council Tax bill while you are waiting for our decision.

People with disabilities.

You may be entitled to pay less Council Tax if you or someone who lives with you has a room or extra space, or an extra bathroom or kitchen, or uses a wheelchair in your property, to meet special needs relating to a disability.

This means that if you have a disability you might not have to pay more Council Tax for the extra space you need.

We have an annexe, do we get a discount?

*A Council Tax discount of 50% is available for property annexes.*

It applies for people living in annexes providing they are related to the person liable to pay the Council Tax of the main dwelling. Visit our website for more information on the Council Tax annexe discount.

What is Local Council Tax Support?

If you are struggling to pay your Council Tax bill due to a low income, you may be entitled to help through the Local Council Tax Support. If you have any change of circumstances, you must contact the council within 4 weeks of the change.

Contact our Benefits team on 01376 557852 or visit our website.

Appealing Decisions

If you have applied for Local Council Tax Support and you disagree with the decision, write to us stating the grounds on which you are aggrieved. If we cannot resolve your grievance within 2 months, you may appeal to the Valuation Office Tribunal.

If you think your Council Tax bill is incorrect and you think you should pay less or none at all, write to us stating your appeal.

You cannot withhold payment of your Council Tax while the matter is investigated/under appeal.

Paying your Council Tax

The easiest way to pay is online via our website.

Direct Debit

Over 45,000 Council Tax payers in the Braintree District use Direct Debit to pay their bill each month. It is so easy to arrange, simply call 01376 557755 and provide your bank account number, sort code and Council Tax reference number which you will find on your latest bill, and we will do the rest.

Payment by Standing Order/Bank Transfer

Please ensure you quote our bank details: Sort Code 30-00-02, Bank Account Number 00825110. You will also need to quote your Council Tax reference number which you will find on your latest bill, in the reference box. Due date remains the first of each month.

Online banking

If you are making a payment using your bank’s website, please ensure you quote our bank details: Sort Code 30-00-02, Bank Account Number 00825110. You will also need to quote your Council Tax reference number which you will find on your latest bill, in the reference box.

Debit/Credit Card payments

You can use the Council’s website to make a payment with your debit/credit card. Alternatively, you can also call our automated card line on 01376 557894 which is available 24 hours a day.

Payment at Post Offices or PayPoint outlets

If you are unable to pay your Council Tax bill by any of the other options, and you have a barcode displayed on your bill, you may make payments at any Post Office or Paypoint outlet.

Paying by instalments?

By default, Council Tax is payable in ten monthly instalments starting on 1 April and ending on 1 January.

However, did you know that you can request to spread your payments over twelve monthly instalments? These would be 1 April to 1 March.

If you are a non direct debit payer, you may request to change your payment date to a preferred day in the month.

If you would like to take up either of these option please call 01376 557755.

If you have difficulties paying

If you do not make payments by the due dates, we will issue a reminder notice.

The maximum number of reminders you may receive in any financial year is two. If the second reminder remains unpaid, a summons will be issued and cost incurred.

Do not wait until you are in debt as this makes it more difficult to sort the problem out.

Contact us as soon as possible on 01376 557722 or email payadvice@braintree.gov.uk.

We only send two reminders in the year. Following that, should the bill remain unpaid, a summons and possibly a liability order will be issued which will incur additional costs being added to your account.

Data Protection Statement:

The Council may share information internally and with other agencies to carry out its statutory functions efficiently.

Braintree District Council has a duty to protect the public funds it administers, so we may use information you provide for the prevention and detection of fraud.

Information may also be shared with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes.

More information can be found on our website.

Report fraud now:

• 08000 740405
• fraud@braintree.gov.uk

If you require this leaflet in an alternative format, please call 01376 557755.

Sign up to Open Portal

You can use Open Portal secure service to view your Council Tax bill online rather than us posting them to you.

As well as paying your bill, you can:

• View your bill
• Request a copy bill
• Check your balance
• See all payments made
• Check your next payment due

Register for Open Portal

You need to register to use Open Portal.

To register you will need your;

• name and contact details
• Council Tax account number
• email address

Register here

Once you have registered for Open Portal you will receive an email within a few days confirming your registration. The email will contain your username and memorable information. For added security we will post your password to your home address within seven days of registering.

When your account is set up, you will need to download Adobe Acrobat on your device unless you’re viewing your account on a smartphone.

If you have any queries please contact Revenues on 01376 552525 or email counciltax@braintree.gov.uk.

Download the Council Tax Guide (PDF)