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We’ve known for a while that loads of London boroughs will be raising their council taxes come April. Years of public spending cuts and unprecedented inflation have left several boroughs in a very sticky financial situation, struggling to house residents and, for some, sitting on the verge of bankruptcy.
As of today (February 20) and Hillingdon announcing its increase, all London councils have now announced how much tax will rise. It was predicted that the majority of the capital’s boroughs will increase council tax by around 5 percent – and that’s proven true.
The highest rise is London borough of Newham, which has hiked its council tax up by almost 10 percent (9.99 percent, to be precise). It asked the government for special permission to raise it by that much so that it can avoid going bust. Down the other end of the table, so far Kensington & Chelsea has put council tax up the least (by 4 percent, compared to a minimum 4.99 percent everywhere else).
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In their need to raise more cash, a number of councils are also having to change their rules around council tax reductions and exemptions. These include Sutton, where every household will soon have to pay at least 5 percent of their council tax bill, and Richmond, where it’s expected 355 households will be ‘adversely affected’ by no longer being exempt from council tax. It’s been confirmed that seven London boroughs – Lambeth, Newham, Havering, Croydon, Enfield, Barnet and Haringey – have applied for emergency funding.
Some councils, including Westminster and Wandsworth (which will have the cheapest council tax in the capital once again), have said that they will also be doubling their charges for second homes.
All boroughs are also set to see a 4 percent rise in the portion of tax that goes towards the Mayor of London, which has gone up to £18.98. The City of London has seen a 3 percent increase to £171.25.
London council tax increases we know so far
All London boroughs have now declared council tax increases set to come into effect in April 2025. Find the full list below.
- Barking and Dagenham, 4.99 percent
- Barnet, 4.98 percent
- Bexley, 4.99 percent
- Brent, 4.99 percent
- Bromley, 4.99 percent
- Camden, 4.99 percent
- Croydon, 4.99 percent
- Greenwich, 4.99 percent
- Ealing, 4.99 percent
- Enfield, 499 percent
- Hackney, 4.99 percent
- Hammersmith and Fulham, 4.99 percent
- Haringey,, 4.99 percent
- Harrow, 4.99 percent
- Havering, 4.99 percent
- Hillingdon, 4.99 percent
- Hounslow, 4.99 percent
- Islington, 4.99 percent
- Kensington & Chelsea, 4 percent
- Kingston, 4.99 percent
- Lambeth, 4.99 percent
- Lewisham, 4.99 percent
- Merton, 4.99 percent
- Newham, 8.99 percent
- Redbridge, 4.99 percent
- Richmond, 4.99 percent
- Southwark, 4.99 percent
- Sutton, 4.99 percent
- Tower Hamlets, 4.99 percent
- Waltham Forest, 4.99 percent
- Wandsworth, 2 percent (main element frozen)
- Westminster, 4.99 percent
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