By council
City of Edinburgh council tax 2026/27
A Band D rate close to the Scottish average, water charges on the same bill, and a second home premium that is due to rise before the year ends.
City of Edinburgh, Band E, 2026/27
£2,934a year
First payment £296.73, then 9 of £293.00
| Band E charge | £2,136.45 |
| Scottish Water: water | £369.05 |
| Scottish Water: waste water | £428.23 |
| Bill for the year | £2,933.73 |
Band E at 473/360 of Band D.
Where the council tax goes
In Scotland the council sets a single figure: police and fire are funded nationally.
How City of Edinburgh compares
Band D here is £1,626.05, number 23 of 32 in Scotland (1 = dearest). The same band in South Lanarkshire, the cheapest, costs £2,649 on the same terms, water aside.
Think the band is wrong? How a band challenge works
The City of Edinburgh Council charges £1,626.05 at Band D for 2026/27, 4.0 % more than the £1,563.51 of 2025/26 and £27 below the Scottish average of £1,653.44. A Band E home, where the calculator starts, is charged 473/360 of Band D: £2,136.45 of council tax, to which the council adds £797.28 of Scottish Water charges, for a total of £2,933.73. Spread over ten months that is £293.00 a month after a first payment of £296.73. Second homes in the city have paid double since 1 April 2024. For 2026/27 the premium stays at 100 %, after a planned rise to 300 % in April 2026 was suspended; the council has since decided to apply 300 % from 1 January 2027, so revised bills are to come. The council says this brought second homes into line with its policy on long-term empty homes.
Figures checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the bill is worked out
Edinburgh charges for 2026/27
| Band | Share of D | Two adults | Living alone | Each of 10 payments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band A | 240/360 | £1,518.91 | £1,139.18 | £151.89 |
| Band B | 280/360 | £1,772.07 | £1,329.05 | £177.21 |
| Band C | 320/360 | £2,025.22 | £1,518.91 | £202.52 |
| Band D | 360/360 | £2,278.37 | £1,708.78 | £227.84 |
| Band E | 473/360 | £2,933.73 | £2,200.30 | £293.37 |
| Band F | 585/360 | £3,584.57 | £2,688.43 | £358.46 |
| Band G | 705/360 | £4,271.55 | £3,203.66 | £427.16 |
| Band H | 882/360 | £5,288.46 | £3,966.34 | £528.85 |
Each figure combines the band charge and the water and waste water charges, which Scottish Water sets for every Scottish home and the council collects. In Band G, council tax alone is £3,184.35 and water adds £1,087.20. The Band G ratio of 705/360 is steeper than England's fifteen ninths, which is why upper band homes in Scotland pay comparatively more.
The second home premium, step by step
Scottish councils have been able to charge more on second homes since April 2024. According to the City of Edinburgh Council, its own timeline is:
- from 1 April 2024, second homes paid 200 % of the normal council tax, a premium of 100 %;
- a rise to a 300 % premium planned for 1 April 2026 was suspended, so 2026/27 bills carry the standard charge plus 100 %;
- on 27 August 2026 the council decided to move from 100 % to 300 % with effect from 1 January 2027, with revised bills to follow in December 2026.
The premium applies to council tax only. A Band G second home pays £7,455.90 for 2026/27 at the current rate. The amount from January 2027 is to come once revised bills are issued. The national framework is in the Scottish Government circular of March 2026, and the second home guide compares the rules across the UK.
Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife
| Council | Band D | Band E | Band G | Change on 2025/26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fife | £1,573.70 | £2,067.67 | £3,081.83 | 5.0 % |
| Scottish Borders | £1,618.52 | £2,126.56 | £3,169.60 | 8.5 % |
| City of Edinburgh | £1,626.05 | £2,136.45 | £3,184.35 | 4.0 % |
| West Lothian | £1,627.59 | £2,138.47 | £3,187.36 | 7.4 % |
| East Lothian | £1,697.62 | £2,230.48 | £3,324.51 | 7.5 % |
| Glasgow City | £1,706.00 | £2,241.49 | £3,340.92 | 5.9 % |
| Midlothian | £1,816.16 | £2,386.23 | £3,556.65 | 9.0 % |
Edinburgh ranks 23 of 32 Scottish councils from the highest Band D. Commuters weighing a move to Midlothian or West Lothian should compare bands as well as rates, because the same price buys a different band in each area. The Scotland page has the full table.
Discounts for main homes
The premium only concerns homes nobody lives in. For a main home, an adult living alone gets 25 % off both the council tax and the water charges, which brings a Band E bill to £2,200.30. A flat shared only by full-time students is exempt, and a home adapted for a disabled resident is charged one band lower.
Checking and appealing a band in Edinburgh
Bands are set by the local assessor, not by the council, and the Scottish Assessors Association portal shows the band of every address. A new owner has a limited window after moving in to appeal, so check soon after buying. The Scottish council tax guide explains the Scottish appeal route and the discounts.