About your council tax bill

The council operates a special expenses scheme that ensures residents only pay council tax for services provided in their area.

The scheme operates on the basis that certain services provided by the council are for the benefit of residents in the town area only and that residents in the parish areas should not meet the cost of any of these services, so a special expense is charged to town area council taxpayers.

Services considered to be exclusive to the town area are:

• Parks and open spaces
• Cemeteries
• Town Centre CCTV and management

The above activities can also be carried out directly by parish councils and where this occurs, the estimated costs are included within parish precepts which are paid solely by residents of the parish.

Since 1 April 2016, the Government has given adult social care authorities (local authorities which have functions under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014) the option to charge an additional 'precept' on its council tax without holding a referendum to assist in meeting its expenditure on adult social care.

Warwickshire County Council has agreed a council tax increase of 5% for 2025/26. This comprises a 2% increase to the adult social care precept and a 3% core council tax increase for all services.

The county council ringfences all the money raised by the adult social care precept to fund adult social care services, as allowed by Government.
 

The total amount of council tax collected is made up of precepts set by the precepting authorities. These are listed below, along with the relative increases over the 2024-2025 amount.

*Under section 52ZC of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, the increase for the financial year is applied to the relevant basic amount of council tax. The relevant basic amount of council tax is the authority's average band D council tax, excluding local precepts. Any comparison of the average band D council tax should be treated with caution, as this does not represent the actual Band D council tax bills in Rugby. View the actual 'doorstep' amount of council tax to be paid by a band D property in 2025/26.

Information from other precepting authorities

• View the Warwickshire County Council information on council tax
• View the Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner's information on council tax

The Borough Council increased its relevant basic amount of council tax from £217.14 in 2024/25 to £223.63 in 2025/26 - an increase of £6.49 for an average band D property.

The actual ‘doorstep’ amount of council tax to be paid by any property within the borough will vary depending on where you live.   

In 2025/2026, every resident in the whole of the borough council area will pay the Rugby Borough Council average band D Council Tax amount of £166.61.

In addition, residents will pay an added amount depending on:

• whether they live in the Town area, where they will need to meet the costs of the Special Expenses activities, or
• whether they live in a Parish area that has planned spending and has set a precept.

The Table below provides a breakdown of the actual Council Tax rates to be paid by a Band D property in 2025/26 and the % increase compared to 2024/25.

*This is an average only and the amount on the bill will differ by Parish area.

Information from other precepting authorities

• View the Warwickshire County Council information on council tax
• View the Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner's information on council tax