By council
Glasgow City council tax 2026/27
One council, one bill, and two charges on it: council tax for the city and water and waste water for Scottish Water.
Glasgow City, Band C, 2026/27
£2,096a year
First payment £206.28, then 9 of £210.00
| Band C charge | £1,516.44 |
| Scottish Water: water | £268.40 |
| Scottish Water: waste water | £311.44 |
| Bill for the year | £2,096.28 |
Band C at 320/360 of Band D.
Where the council tax goes
In Scotland the council sets a single figure: police and fire are funded nationally.
How Glasgow City compares
Band D here is £1,706.00, number 10 of 32 in Scotland (1 = dearest). The same band in South Lanarkshire, the cheapest, costs £1,804 on the same terms, water aside.
Think the band is wrong? How a band challenge works
Glasgow City Council has set its Band D council tax at £1,706.00 for 2026/27, up from £1,611.00, an increase of 5.9 %. That makes Glasgow 10 of the 32 Scottish councils when ranked from the highest Band D, against a Scottish average of £1,653.44. The council also collects Scottish Water's charges, which rose by 8.7 % this year, so the amount you pay is higher than the council tax alone. A Band C flat with two adults pays £1,516.44 of council tax plus £268.40 for water and £311.44 for waste water, £2,096.28 in all, or £210.00 a month over ten instalments. Scottish bands use their own ratios to Band D, expressed in 360ths, and the four top bands have paid more since 1 April 2017. An adult living alone gets 25 % off both charges.
Figures checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the bill is worked out
What each band pays in Glasgow
| Band | Share of D | Two adults | Living alone | Each of 10 payments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band A | 240/360 | £1,572.21 | £1,179.16 | £157.22 |
| Band B | 280/360 | £1,834.25 | £1,375.69 | £183.43 |
| Band C | 320/360 | £2,096.28 | £1,572.21 | £209.63 |
| Band D | 360/360 | £2,358.32 | £1,768.74 | £235.83 |
| Band E | 473/360 | £3,038.77 | £2,279.08 | £303.88 |
| Band F | 585/360 | £3,714.49 | £2,785.87 | £371.45 |
| Band G | 705/360 | £4,428.12 | £3,321.09 | £442.81 |
| Band H | 882/360 | £5,484.34 | £4,113.25 | £548.43 |
The table already includes water and waste water, because that is how the bill reaches you. The split below separates the two parts.
| Band | Ratio to D | Council tax | Water and waste water | Total bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band A | 240/360 | £1,137.33 | £434.88 | £1,572.21 |
| Band B | 280/360 | £1,326.89 | £507.36 | £1,834.25 |
| Band C | 320/360 | £1,516.44 | £579.84 | £2,096.28 |
| Band D | 360/360 | £1,706.00 | £652.32 | £2,358.32 |
| Band E | 473/360 | £2,241.49 | £797.28 | £3,038.77 |
| Band F | 585/360 | £2,772.25 | £942.24 | £3,714.49 |
| Band G | 705/360 | £3,340.92 | £1,087.20 | £4,428.12 |
| Band H | 882/360 | £4,179.70 | £1,304.64 | £5,484.34 |
Scottish ratios are not the English ones
In England, Band E pays eleven ninths of Band D. In Scotland it pays 473/360, and Band H pays 882/360, close to two and a half times Band D. The 2016 order that changed the proportions raised Bands E to H and left A to D alone. In a city where much of the housing is flats, the change mostly reached the larger houses. The Scottish values are also lower: Band A covers homes worth under £27,000 in 1991, against up to £40,000 in England.
Glasgow among its neighbours
| Council | Band C | Band D | Change on 2025/26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Dunbartonshire | £1,557.04 | £1,751.67 | 9.5 % |
| Glasgow City | £1,516.44 | £1,706.00 | 5.9 % |
| Renfrewshire | £1,502.72 | £1,690.56 | 7.5 % |
| West Dunbartonshire | £1,494.69 | £1,681.53 | 7.8 % |
| East Renfrewshire | £1,440.13 | £1,620.15 | 6.0 % |
| North Lanarkshire | £1,381.83 | £1,554.56 | 7.0 % |
| South Lanarkshire | £1,305.31 | £1,468.47 | 6.5 % |
The full list of 32 councils is on the Scotland page, and the guide to council tax in Scotland covers the rules that differ from England. City of Edinburgh charges £1,626.05 at Band D for comparison.
Discounts, water and second homes
The single person discount reduces the water lines too, so a Band C flat with one adult costs £1,572.21 for the year. Full-time students living only with other students are exempt from council tax and from the water charges. A home that is nobody's main residence is different: under the Scottish Government circular on second and empty homes, the default premium from 1 April 2026 is 100 %, but each council may set its own rate, and no premium applies to the water charges. At the default rate a Band C second home in Glasgow would pay £3,612.72. Check Glasgow City Council's own decision for 2026/27 before relying on that figure.
Paying the Glasgow bill
The bill, water included, is collected in monthly instalments; the number and the dates are set by the council and printed on the notice, so check them there. Spread over ten months, a Band C bill is about £209.63 a month, and over twelve about £174.69. Households on a low income can apply for Council Tax Reduction, which in Scotland can also cut the water and waste water charges, by up to 35 %; the calculator does not model it, because it depends on income and savings. If you move within the city, the council closes one account and opens another, each charged by the day.
To confirm your band, use the Scottish Assessors Association search. Rates for 2027/28 are to come.