£46 million council tax and business rates uncollected by council
The numbers come from a Freedom of Information request
Last updated 5th Oct 2026
Nearly £50 million in council tax and business rates has gone uncollected by BCP Council, over the past four years.
Figures from a Freedom of Information request reveal that £38.1 million in council tax and £8.5 million in business rates has not been paid.
The amount of unpaid council tax has risen from £4.6 million in 2022/23, to £18.4 million in 2025/26, while unpaid business rates have jumped from £503,128 to £4.9 million, over the same period.
The amount of unpaid council tax has increased by 297 per cent, while the amount of unpaid non-domestic rates has increased by 884 per cent.
The data shows that over the last four years, a total of £46.6 million has been uncollected in tax, by the council.
Deputy Leader of BCP Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Mike Cox, said that the figures have been “misinterpreted.”
He said: “This is not a year-on-year comparison of unpaid council tax and business rates, but a snapshot of outstanding balances from different financial years, taken at a single point in time.
“More recent years will naturally show higher balances, because there has been less time for recovery action to take effect.”
The figures come as the council reports a £36 million forecast overspend on this year’s budget.
Councillor Cox said that the council’s revenue team is taking ‘robust actions to collect what is due.’
He said: “We have robust recovery processes in place, including payment arrangements, reminders, enforcement action and legal recovery, where necessary.
“However, the vast majority of council tax and business rates due are collected.
“It is important to recognise that outstanding arrears cannot be directly compared to the council’s forecast overspend.
“These are separate financial issues and recovering outstanding balances would not reduce the overspend on a pound-for-pound basis.”
Councillor Cox said the council supports residents who are struggling financially and encouraged anyone facing difficulties to get in touch.
He said: “We go to great lengths to support people who are struggling to pay their council tax on time and we always encourage residents to contact us to discuss any challenges they may be facing.
“For example, we may be able to change the frequency of their payments, or identify if they are eligible for council tax support.”