NALC publishes its annual analysis of council tax levels for parish and town councils

We have published our annual analysis of council tax levels for precepting authorities, including parish and town councils in England. It offers an up-to-date picture of how local precepts are shaping community finances for 2025/26.

The data, drawn from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), highlights continued growth in the role of local precepting bodies, both in scale and influence.

Key headlines from this year’s analysis include:

• The total amount raised by precepting parish and town councils is now £856 million, an increase of £75 million or 9.68% on the 2024/25 figure of £781 million.
• The average Band D precept charged by local precepting bodies (including parish and town councils) for 2025/26 is £91.22, an increase of £6.32 or 7.4% on the 2024/25 figure of £85.89.
• 150 parish and town councils now raise a precept of at least £1 million, an increase of 26 on the 2024/25 figure of 124.
• Six parish and town councils started raising a precept for the first time in 2025/26.
• The county area with the largest precept income is Swindon and Wiltshire, where 274 parish and town councils collectively raise £48 million. In contrast, the county areas with the smallest precept income are Cleveland, where 54 parish and town councils collectively raise £1.9 million and the Isle of Wight, where 33 parish and town councils collectively raise £7.2 million.
• 37 county areas have at least one super council (a parish or town council that raises a precept of at least £1 million).

The figures underline both the growing reliance on parish and town councils to fund local priorities and the diversity of financial capacity across different areas. While some communities are seeing councils evolve into multi-million-pound organisations, others continue to operate on far smaller budgets, reflecting differences in population, need, and local ambition.

This year’s analysis demonstrates how the precept system continues to adapt to the pressures on public services and the expectations of local communities, cementing the role of parish and town councils as increasingly significant players in local government finance.