Paying council tax
Your council tax is payable in ten monthly instalments, normally starting on 1 April each year. We offer you a range of ways to pay your council tax to suit your needs and you can check your balance online.
Paying by Direct Debit
Direct Debit is the safest and easiest way to pay your council tax.
A direct debit is where you tell your bank or building society that you want the council to take your monthly council tax payments direct from your account.
There is a Direct Debit form which you can print off, fill in and return to us:
If you choose to pay by Direct Debit we can offer you three alternative payment dates of 5th, 15th and 28th if you do not want to pay on the 1st of each month.
Paying online
With the council's online payments service you can pay your council tax bills with any of the following types of credit or debit cards: Visa, MasterCard, Solo, Visa Delta, Visa Electron and Maestro.
You can access our online payments system from your computer's web browser, your mobile phone, screen readers for the blind or partially-sighted or any other web browsing interface.
If you are in a public place we strongly advise you make sure you are not overlooked as you enter your details to prevent them being misused by someone else.
How much do I owe?
You can check your council tax balance by going to our online payment page, entering your council tax reference number (the 8 digit number beginning with a 7 from your bill) then clicking on 'How much do I owe?'.
Other ways of paying council tax
Paying by telephone
You can pay by credit or debit card by calling our payment line on 0845 3553500.
Paying in person
You can pay your council tax by cash, cheque, credit or debit card at the following council offices.
- Sandwell Council House, Oldbury
- West Bromwich, 104 - 105 Kings Square
- Council House, Smethwick
- at any area payment office
Paying by standing order
A standing order is where you tell your bank or building society to pay a set amount at regular times to another account. You can set up a standing order with your bank to pay your council tax.