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Council tax banding and charges
Valuation bands
Every domestic property in Orkney is placed in one of eight valuation bands, from Band A to Band H, based on an estimate of its value on the open market in April 1991. Newer properties are given a band when they are built, based on what their value would have been on 1 April 1991.
The band determines how much Council Tax is payable. Each year we set the charge for a Band D property, and the charges for all other bands are set as a proportion of that, fixed in law. From 1 April 2017 the Scottish Government increased the proportions for properties in Bands E to H, so a Band H property now pays almost 3.7 times the charge for a Band A property.
The table below shows the band proportions:
| Band | Value of property | Proportion of Band D charge (before 1 April 2017) | Proportion of Band D charge (from 1 April 2017) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to £27,000 | 6/9 | 240/360 |
| B | £27,001 to £35,000 | 7/9 | 280/360 |
| C | £35,001 to £45,000 | 8/9 | 320/360 |
| D | £45,001 to £58,000 | 9/9 | 360/360 |
| E | £58,001 to £80,000 | 11/9 | 473/360 |
| F | £80,001 to £106,000 | 13/9 | 585/360 |
| G | £106,001 to £212,000 | 15/9 | 705/360 |
| H | £212,000 and over | 18/9 | 882/360 |
Checking your band
The Council Tax Valuation List is a public document containing the address and band of every domestic property in Orkney. You can check any property's band using the search tool on the Scottish Assessors Association website.
Appealing your band
If you are the owner or the person liable to pay Council Tax for a property, you can appeal to change its band. In most cases you can appeal within six months of becoming the owner or tenant, or of the property being added to the Valuation List. More information is available on the Scottish Assessors Association website.
The Assessor
The Assessor is independent of the Council and is responsible for maintaining the Valuation List and setting bands for all domestic properties. You can contact the Assessor at:
Orkney and Shetland Valuation Joint Board
Related resources
Current charges
Your Council Tax bill includes the Council Tax charge for your property and also charges for water and wastewater (sewerage) services from Scottish Water, based on your band. We collect these charges on behalf of Scottish Water but are not responsible for setting them.
For queries about water and wastewater charges, contact Scottish Water directly:
Scottish Water
Related resources
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Council tax charges plus scottish water and waste water charges 2026 to 2027
This document contains Orkney Islands Council’s Council Tax and Scottish Water charges for 2026/27. It lists Council Tax, water supply, wastewater collection and total costs for property valuation bands A to H. The Band D Council Tax is £1,669.07, while Scottish Water charges have increased by 8.67%. Tables also show the 25% discount available to households with one adult, plus contact details for payment, arrears, discounts and exemptions.
Please be aware that this summary has been generated using AI.
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Scottish Water(opens in new tab)
Previous years' charges
Related resources
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Council tax charges plus scottish water and waste water charges 2025 to 2026
This document contains Orkney Islands Council’s Council Tax and Scottish Water charges for 2025/26. It lists payments for properties in valuation Bands A to H, including water supply and waste water collection charges. The Band D Council Tax is £1,574.60, a 15% increase, while Scottish Water charges have risen by 9.9%. Tables also show the 25% discount for households with one adult and explain how to get advice about payments, arrears, discounts and exemptions.
Please be aware that this summary has been generated using AI.
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Council tax charges plus scottish water and waste water charges 2024 to 2025
This document contains Orkney Islands Council’s Council Tax and Scottish Water charges for 2024/25. It gives charges for valuation bands A to H, including water supply and waste water collection, with Band D Council Tax set at £1,369.21. It also shows the 25% discount for households with one person aged 18 or over, and explains that Scottish Water charges increased by 8.8%. Contact details are provided for payment, arrears, discounts and exemptions.
Please be aware that this summary has been generated using AI.
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Council tax charges plus scottish water and waste water charges 2023 to 2024
This document contains Orkney Islands Council’s Council Tax and Scottish Water charges for 2023/24. It explains that Band D Council Tax is £1,369.21, a 10% increase, while water and waste water charges rose by 5%. Tables show the total amounts for property valuation bands A to H for households with two or more adults, and the reduced amounts for households with one adult, which receive a 25% discount. It also gives contact details for payment advice, arrears, discounts and exemptions.
Please be aware that this summary has been generated using AI.
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Council tax charges plus scottish water and waste water charges 2022 to 2023
This document contains the Council Tax, water supply and waste water charges for 2022/23. Council Tax for Band D is £1,244.73, while total charges range from £1,148.78 for Band A to £4,006.47 for Band H; Scottish Water charges rose by 4.2%. It also explains that charges are lower for homes not connected to these services and that a 25% discount applies when only one adult lives in the property.
Please be aware that this summary has been generated using AI.
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Council tax charges plus scottish water and waste water charges 2021 to 2022
This document contains Orkney Islands Council’s Council Tax and Scottish Water charges for 2021/2022. It gives Council Tax, water supply and waste water charges for property valuation Bands A to H, based on a household with two or more adults. The Band D Council Tax is £1,208.48, while Scottish Water charges increased by 2.47%; a 25% discount applies to households with one adult. It also provides contact details for payment, arrears, discounts and exemptions.
Please be aware that this summary has been generated using AI.
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Council tax charges plus scottish water and waste water charges 2020 to 2021
This document contains Orkney Islands Council’s Council Tax and Scottish Water charges for 2020 to 2021, including rates for each property band and a 25% single-person discount. It explains Council Tax Reduction, charges and discounts for empty properties and second homes, and other exemptions. It also provides contact details for the Council, Scottish Water, Scottish Assessors and free debt advice.
Please be aware that this summary has been generated using AI.