Is there a time limit on council tax debt?

There is a six-year limit, but it is narrower than most people hope. It only stops your council getting a liability order. Once an order has been made, there is no time limit on collecting it.

Council tax By Council Tax Helpline,

In short

  • Your council must apply for a liability order within six years of the council tax becoming due.
  • Once a liability order has been made, there is no time limit for enforcing it.
  • So old council tax debt with a liability order can still be collected by bailiffs or deductions, years later.
  • Old debt without a liability order, more than six years old, generally cannot be taken to court.
  • If you are being chased for very old council tax, ask the council for the dates and a copy of the liability order.

The six-year rule

In England and Wales, your council must apply for a liability order within six years of the date the council tax became due. If it tries after that, it is too late, and the court should not make the order.

This is a real defence, but it is narrow. It only applies where the council has never got a liability order for that council tax.

No time limit after a liability order

Most council tax arrears get a liability order within months, not years. And once a liability order has been made, there is no time limit on enforcing it. Your council can use bailiffs, take money from your wages or benefits, or use its other powers, many years later.

So council tax debt from, say, ten years ago can still be collected if a liability order was made at the time.

Your situationCan the council still collect?
Liability order made, even many years agoYes, with no time limit
No liability order, council tax due less than six years agoYes. It can still apply for one
No liability order, council tax due more than six years agoGenerally no. It is too late to apply

Does council tax debt get written off after six years?

No. This is a common misunderstanding. Council tax is not like a credit card debt, where the six-year limitation period can stop a creditor suing you. Council tax is collected through the magistrates’ court, under its own rules, and a liability order does not expire.

It can be written off in other ways, such as a Debt Relief Order or bankruptcy. See can council tax debt be written off.

Old debt suddenly being chased

It is common for councils, or bailiffs, to chase council tax from years ago, sometimes from an address you left long ago. If this happens to you:

  1. Ask the council for the details in writing: the address, the years, the amounts, and the date and a copy of the liability order.
  2. Check you were liable. Did you live there for the whole period? Were you entitled to a discount or exemption?
  3. Check the liability order exists. If there is no liability order and the council tax is more than six years old, say so.
  4. Ask the council to hold enforcement while you check.
  5. If you owe it, agree an affordable arrangement. Old debt can still be paid off gradually. See special payment arrangements.

In Scotland

Scotland has different rules, including on how long council tax debt lasts. Our sister service helps people in Scotland:

Where are you with your council tax?

Choose the one that fits best and an adviser will call you back. Free, confidential, and no obligation.

Takes about 3 minutes.

Related guides

  • Liability orders

    What the order permits, the deduction rates, what it does not do, and when it can be challenged.

  • Can council tax debt be written off?

    Council tax arrears can be written off, but only in a few specific ways. More often, the debt can be reduced, sometimes substantially, by claiming help you should have had. Here is what works.

  • What happens if you don't pay council tax?

    Council tax arrears move quickly. Miss a payment and, within weeks, the whole year's bill can be due, followed by court costs and then bailiffs or deductions. The good news: there is something you can do at every stage.

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