By council
Cornwall council tax 2026/27
A single unitary council, a town or parish council in almost every community, and a doubled bill for second homes that continues this year.
Cornwall, Band C, 2026/27
£2,303a year
First payment £233.05, then 9 of £230.00
| Band C charge | £2,303.05 |
| Bill for the year | £2,303.05 |
Band C at 8/9 of Band D.
Where the council tax goes
How Cornwall compares
Band D here is £2,590.93, number 43 of 296 in England (1 = dearest). The same band in Wandsworth, the cheapest, costs £914 on the same terms.
Think the band is wrong? How a band challenge works
The average Band D council tax in Cornwall for 2026/27 is £2,590.93, up 5.3 % from £2,459.92. Cornwall Council raised its own part by 4.99 %, including the 2 % adult social care precept, and the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner added £15 at Band D, taking the police share to £303.20. What makes Cornwall unusual is the weight of local councils: its 212 parishes add an average of £201.37 at Band D, far more than in any city, so the bill differs noticeably from one town to the next. A Band C home with two adults pays £2,303.05 on the Cornwall average. A furnished second home pays double, because the council has kept the 100 % premium for 2026/27, giving £4,606.10 in Band C.
Figures checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the bill is worked out
Cornwall bands on the county average
| Band | Share of D | Two adults | Living alone | Each of 10 payments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band A | 6/9 | £1,727.29 | £1,295.47 | £172.73 |
| Band B | 7/9 | £2,015.17 | £1,511.38 | £201.52 |
| Band C | 8/9 | £2,303.05 | £1,727.29 | £230.31 |
| Band D | 9/9 | £2,590.93 | £1,943.20 | £259.09 |
| Band E | 11/9 | £3,166.69 | £2,375.02 | £316.67 |
| Band F | 13/9 | £3,742.45 | £2,806.84 | £374.25 |
| Band G | 15/9 | £4,318.22 | £3,238.66 | £431.82 |
| Band H | 18/9 | £5,181.86 | £3,886.40 | £518.19 |
These are averages: the precept of your own town or parish council replaces the £201.37 spread across the county in the figures above. Cornwall Council publishes the list of every parish charge, and the bill shows yours as a separate line.
Town and parish councils
The government table counts 212 parishes in Cornwall, ranging from large town councils to small rural parishes with a handful of councillors. Parish precepts make up 7.8 % of the average Band D bill, against well under one per cent in most large cities. They are not limited by the government's referendum rules this year, so a town council can raise its charge by more than Cornwall Council itself. The county council keeps £2,086.36, including £39.74 for adult social care.
Cornwall against its neighbours
| Council | Band D | Parish average | Police | Fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornwall | £2,590.93 | £201.37 | £303.20 | £0.00 |
| Plymouth | £2,441.85 | £0.00 | £303.20 | £109.68 |
| Torridge | £2,601.42 | £96.36 | £303.20 | £109.68 |
| West Devon | £2,705.33 | £123.82 | £303.20 | £109.68 |
| Isles of Scilly | £2,047.96 | £0.00 | £303.20 | £0.00 |
The Isles of Scilly, policed by the same commissioner, has its own council and the lowest Band D in the region. Plymouth, across the Tamar, has no parishes but pays a separate fire precept. The South West overview compares every council from Gloucestershire to Dorset.
What a second home costs
Owners of a furnished home that nobody lives in as their main residence pay twice the band charge in 2026/27. The single person discount does not apply, since no one lives there:
| Band | Main home, two adults | Second home |
|---|---|---|
| Band B | £2,015.17 | £4,030.34 |
| Band C | £2,303.05 | £4,606.10 |
| Band E | £3,166.69 | £6,333.38 |
The national framework, including the prescribed exceptions, is in the government guidance on premiums and the second homes guide. Homes left empty and unfurnished also attract a premium after a year, up to 300 % after ten years under the national rules; check Cornwall's current rate before using the calculator, and see the empty homes page for the tiers.
Holiday lets are treated differently
A self-catering property that is available and actually let to the public for long enough each year is not charged council tax at all: the Valuation Office moves it to the business rates list, and the owner deals with business rates instead. A furnished home used only by its owner and family, or let for too few days, stays on the council tax list and pays the premium. If the use of a property changes, the band or the rating can change too, so owners should tell both the council and the Valuation Office. The premium is worked out on the band charge after the parish precept, so it doubles the town or parish line as well.
Finding your band
Bands still rest on what a home was worth in 1991, so a band can look low against today's prices. The GOV.UK search shows the band of any address, and this guide explains how to read the result.