This year’s Council Tax bills are being issued on 10 March 2025.
Many thousands of Dorset customers already receive their bill by email. Electronic billing helps reduce the cost of printing and postage, which can make savings for the council and Council Tax payers. The added benefit of electronic billing is that it is convenient and environmentally friendly. To sign up for future billing visit Get your Council Tax bill by email.
Adult Social Care
New legislation has changed the way we display the Adult Social Care (ASC) charges from April 2025 meaning they now do not show on the bill as a separate line as in past years. We do not need to refer to the breakdown of percentages any longer.
There are still calculations of the percentage increase shown within the budget papers and spending tables.
The actual percentage increase for each of the major precepts is shown below
| Major precepts | Band A | Band B | Band C | Band D | Band E | Band F | Band G | Band H |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorset Police & Crime Commissioner (4.7% increase) |
£205.05 | £239.23 | £273.40 | £307.58 | £375.93 | £444.28 | £512.63 | £615.16 |
| Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (5.8% increase) |
£61.30 | £71.52 | £81.73 | £91.95 | £112.38 | £132.82 | £153.25 | £183.90 |
| Dorset Council (2.9953% increase) |
£1188.90 | £1387.05 | £1585.20 | £1783.35 | £2179.65 | £2575.95 | £2972.25 | £3566.70 |
| Adult Social Care (1.9969% increase) |
£211.80 | £247.10 | £282.40 | £317.70 | £388.30 | £458.90 | £592.50 | £635.40 |
| Total | £1667.05 | £1944.90 | £2222.73 | £2500.58 | £3056.26 | £3611.95 | £4167.63 | £5001.16 |
Second home changes
There are some changes in Council Tax charges on second homes from 1 April 2025. A second home is a furnished property that is not permanently occupied which can include:
- properties you occupy periodically but is not your main home
- those that are unoccupied in-between tenants
- inherited property
- and properties that are on the market for sale or re-let
At the budget setting meeting in February 2024 Dorset Council agreed to increase the charge on second homes from 1 April 2025. A year’s notice was needed before introducing the increased charge and so a premium of 100% has been added from April 2025. The additional premium has been added to the bills automatically.
There are some exceptions to the premium charge, and these are shown on Council Tax on second homes.
Where we have been able to identify properties that qualify for the exception, we have updated them automatically and the premium is not shown on the bill.
Long term empty property
Since 1 April 2024 a premium has applied on all properties that have been empty and unfurnished for 12 months or more. There are some new exceptions to this premium that can apply from 1 April 2025, please see, Empty properties and annexes.