Council Tax in Flintshire and Wrexham to fall under new proposals

The Welsh Government is proposing three options to reform the "outdated" Council Tax system in Wales. 

These are: 

• Minimal reform: a revaluation of properties to check they are up-to-date but keeping the current 9 bands and tax-rates. 
• Modest reform: a revaluation plus further reforms to the tax-rates charged for each band, to spread Council Tax more fairly. This means bills for households in lower band properties would fall, and bills for those in the highest band properties would rise. The Welsh Government said this would address "both the outdatedness of the current system and also its unfair, regressive nature".
• Expanded reform: a revaluation plus further reforms including additional tax bands and changes to the tax-rates. This approach would see the number of bands increase from 9 to 12, adding 1 band at the bottom for the lowest value properties in Wales, and 2 more bands at the top, for the most expensive properties valued at over £1.2 million. This would be a decisive move in the direction of fairness, the Welsh Government said.

A consultation is now underway to help decide which one of the three options is taken forward by the government. 

And a study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) suggests average bills will fall when the new system is introduced - which won't be until at least April, 2025.

The IFS analysed Valuation Office Agency's property value estimates and Welsh Government tax base and council tax level statistics to produce its findings. 

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It estimates that in Flintshire, average monthly Council Tax bills will fall by 5.9 per cent in the minimal reform system, 6.4 per cent in modest and 6.1 per cent in expanded reform. 

In Wrexham, the IFS thinks that bills will fall by 6.5 per cent in minimal reform, 8.3 per cent in modest and 8.5 per cent in expanded reform. 

The average Council Tax bills in Flintshire and Wrexham are currently £1,628 and £1,453 respectively. 

The table shows the predicted change in Council Tax bills in Wales under new reform. (Image: IFS)