Council Tax reminder notice

A reminder notice is sent to if you don't pay the correct amount, or if you don't pay on time.

If you believe that you shouldn't have been sent a reminder notice, you can dispute it. See our Council Tax Reminders Disputes page.

What to do if you receive a reminder

Pay the reminder

To pay by phone call 020 8424 1220. You will need to have your Council Tax Reference number.

For other payment methods, see Paying your council tax.

Reminder notices will not be sent for each missing or late instalment. To avoid receiving notices in future, find out how to manage your payments.

What will happen if you do not pay the Reminder

If you do not pay the amount you owe within 7 days of its date of issue, you may be sent a summons and lose the right to pay by instalments.

When the summons is issued you will incur costs of £125. This will increase your debt, however the council has a duty to protect public funds and the summons allows more debt recovery options.

If you don't pay in full when you get the summons, including the £125, we'll ask the court for a Liability Order. It will include an additional £5. The date of the hearing will be on the summons. Payment must have been received on your Council Tax Account to stop the Liability Order. You can check this on your MyHarrow Account.

What to do if you cannot pay the Reminder

You should:

  • Check whether you are entitled to receive any Discount or Council Tax Support. This may not stop the summons, but could reduce the debt. This will make it easier for you to manage payments.
  • Pay as much of the arrears as you can afford. Paying anything less than the full amount may not stop the summons. However, it will make it easier to agree an arrangement after the summons is sent.
  • Check whether you are paying over 10 months or 12. If over 10 months you can ask for your payments to be extended to March of each year. This will reduce your monthly payments. You can do this by setting up a Direct Debit. You will then be sent a new bill telling you the reduced amount to pay.
  • Get debt advice and financial support. This may help you reduce other bills, enabling you to get the right support.