Council Tax 2025-2026

What you will pay in 2025-26

There is a 4.99 per cent increase in the Council Tax for 2025-26 set by Southampton City Council.

Your Council Tax bill is administered by Southampton City Council, but not all of it pays for council services.

Example of band D charge

For a band D home paying a total of £2,266.44 in 2025-26:

• £1,903.14 pays for council services
• £275.46 pays for policing in Southampton
• £87.84 for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority service

For a band D home, this will mean an overall increase of £109.45 a year, or £2.10 per week.

How your Council Tax is calculated (Band D)

Proportion of every £1 spent

General Fund account

This table shows the 2025-26 General Fund account. It shows what we will need to spend to deliver services.

Figures shown are in millions of pounds, for example, 61.78 equals £61,780,000.

2024-25 net cost	Expenditure on	2025-26 net cost
61.78	Children & Learning	41.29
97.66	Community Wellbeing	63.82
	Enabling Services	26.41
39.07	Growth and Prosperity	34.93
24.75	Resident Services	15.71
3.93	Strategy and Performance	5.17
253.71	Service total	187.33
22.88	Capital financing, central costs, and use of reserves	43.45
1.93	Contribution to or (draw from) balances	-
(39.28)	Exceptional Financial Support	-
239.24	Net revenue expenditure	230.78
(117.81)	Funding	(102.61)
121.43	Net general fund spending	128.17
121.43	Council Tax requirement	128.17

How much we spend

Our net budget for the 2025-26 financial year is £230.8 million - £128.2 million of this will be met from Council Tax.

Our gross expenditure on General Fund services for the 2025-26 financial year is £668.2 million (£595.0 million for 2024-25). £437.4 million of this is met from service grants, fees and charges.

Where the remaining funding comes from	Amount
Southampton City Council - Council Tax (including Adult Social Care precept)	£128.2 million
Business Rates	£54 million
Other Government grants	£47.9 million
Collection Fund surplus	£0.7 million

Council Tax letter from the Leader of the Council, Councillor Lorna Fielker

View this year's Council Tax letter.