Dismay as Ipswich Borough Council revealed as the highest-taxing district council in the entire country

The big picture

Ipswich Borough Council now charges £419.58 for a Band D property – the highest rate of any district council in England and a whopping £198.37 above the national average of £221.21.

While this figure represents only the Ipswich Borough Council portion of the total council tax bill, it's still the highest in the country by a significant margin – £55.13 (15.1%) higher than Preston, the second-highest charging district.

By the numbers:

• Ipswich's annual increase of £12.15 is also the highest in England, double the average increase of £6.07

• The Band D rate is £299.12 (248.3%) higher than Breckland, the lowest-taxing district at just £120.46

• Even among high-taxing authorities, Ipswich stands out significantly higher than others like Preston (£364.45), Oxford (£356.72), and Burnley (£344.58)

• Norwich is the 11th most expensive council, but still £113.47 (27%) cheaper than Ipswich

Band D average council tax by district, excluding parish precepts

The council's defense

Councillor Martin Cook, Portfolio Holder for Resources at Ipswich Borough Council, "acknowledges the concerns highlighted in the recently published Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government figures," but argues that focusing solely on the Band D rate can be "dangerously misleading."

"In Ipswich, 87% of properties are in bands A-C and pay less than the notional band D rate," said Cook.

Our counterargument

However, this defense overlooks a key fact: all council tax bands are set proportionally to the Band D rate. A Band A property pays 6/9 of the Band D rate (£279.72 in Ipswich), Band B pays 7/9 (£326.34), and Band C pays 8/9 (£372.96).

This means that even though most Ipswich properties are in lower bands, these households still face higher bills than equivalent properties in other districts where the Band D rate is lower, and that Ipswich Borough Council objectively has the highest council tax of all 164 district councils in the country.

Parish precept context: The council also points to districts that appear to have lower rates because they levy parish precepts separately.

However, these parishes typically provide some services that would otherwise be delivered by the district council, making the overall cost proportionate to the services delivered.

It should also be noted that even if you include parish precepts, Ipswich remains the third-highest in the country, cheaper than only Pendle and Bolsover.

Value for money

Taxpayers will rightfully ask if the highest district council tax rates in the country translate into the best district council service.

For many, the answer would be a firm "No."

Still, the council says it is "proud to deliver a comprehensive range of high-quality, non-statutory services that represent good value for money for our residents," including:

• Parks and open spaces

• Cultural and leisure facilities

• Housing services and homelessness prevention work

• An annual entertainment package for families

• Support for major community events, such as the recent ITFC promotion celebrations

They also point to "Regeneration projects, funded in part through the Town Deal, to revitalise the local economy and improve infrastructure."

However, the Town Deal was funded by central government, and the council is currently well over its statutory 20-working-day period to respond to several Freedom of Information requests from this publication regarding how that money has (or hasn't) been spent.

Taxpayers will also point to the recent decision to reduce some services, including charging for brown bin collections.

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What they're saying

Dr George Dibb from the Institute for Public Policy Research called council tax "one of the least fair and worst designed taxes," adding that "multimillion pound mansions in Kensington pay the same taxes as a normal semi in Stockport."

He suggested: "A proportional property tax would lower costs for many households, reduce regional discrepancies, and still ensure councils have the funding they need."

The bottom line

While Ipswich Borough Council says that it has introduced a 100% Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme to help vulnerable residents, the fact remains that households across all property bands in Ipswich are paying the highest district council tax rates in England, and that gap widened further in the 2025-26 fiscal year.

What do you think? All thoughts to editor@ipswich.co.uk.

What's next?

We have thirteen outstanding Freedom of Information requests for Ipswich Borough Council past the legal 20-working-day response timeframe. Subscribe to our free daily newsletter below, and you'll be the first to know when the council complies. Together, we can improve transparency and accountability in the public sector.