Introduction

Councils raise revenue in the form of a local tax charged to occupiers of property, based on the value of that property. Council tax officers determine the liability of local residents to pay tax, calculate it and administer the systems for requesting and collecting payment.

Work Environment

Council tax officers are normally based in council offices, which may also have reception/counter areas for people to come in with enquiries. Hours of work are normally 37 per week, sometimes with opportunities for paid overtime. Opportunities to work part-time or job-share are very common.

Daily Activities

Council tax officers deal with the whole council tax process from initial billing, to the collection of tax. Duties include:

• keeping the computer database showing taxpayers’ details up to date, for example, when they receive new information about someone claiming a council tax exemption or reduction;
• preparing and dispatching council tax bills, direct debit instructions, reminder notices, summonses and other important correspondence;
• negotiating, agreeing and monitoring recovery arrangements made with taxpayers who have had difficulties with payments;
• carrying out an annual survey, asking residents whether their circumstances are still the same;
• reviewing discounts and exemptions to check who is entitled to what;
• preparing refunds;
• supervising accounts being passed to bailiffs for collection;
• preparing paperwork and documentary evidence if a resident appeals against the amount of tax to be paid and they go to a tax tribunal;
• working with a wide range of contacts including members of the public, solicitors, employers, the Benefits Agency, the Official Receiver, social services, the public utilities (gas, water, electricity) and other sections within the council in order to obtain information about debtors and to enforce court orders;
• taking turns at staffing the reception/counter where people can come to ask questions or discuss their tax – they may sometimes have to deal with difficult customers, particularly those who have had recovery proceedings taken against them.

A council tax officer’s work has annual peaks. For instance, in September and October when students are enrolling for courses, they get many exemption requests and April and May are generally the busiest months when bills are prepared and sent out.

Skills & Interests

Council tax officers need to:

• be accurate with good attention to detail,
• be able to follow precisely detailed procedures and carry out complex calculations,
• have good written and verbal communication skills, in order to communicate tactfully with a wide range of different people,
• be able to work both on their own initiative and as part of a team,
• be able to prioritise work in order to meet deadlines,
• demonstrate a some knowledge of council tax legislation and data protection,
• have excellent ICT skills.

Senior staff who appear at tribunals need confidence in public speaking.

Entry Requirements

There are no standard entry requirements. Most councils however, ask for a minimum of four GCSEs/S grades at C/3 or above, including English and maths. Equivalent qualifications such as NVQs/SVQs or intermediate GNVQ/GSVQ business are usually acceptable alternatives.

Some councils might ask for previous relevant experience.

Estimated salary range

£14,500 – £22,000 depending on level of responsibility.

Please note that salary information is a guide only and there may be local agreements in place. For further information about salaries for particular positions, please contact your local council directly.

Future prospects & opportunities

There might be prospects of promotion to senior council tax officer or council tax manager. With more experience in the role, council tax officers could progress into other management roles within the wider revenues and benefits team, or within the finance department as a whole.

With further experience and qualifications, there would be a chance to take up specialist accounting jobs.

Related Occupations

Follow this link to view a list of all related occuptions in Building Your Community.
Alternatively, follow this link to view all career profiles placed in the same job area.

Further Information & Services

Institute of Financial Accountants www.ifa.org.uk

Institute for the Management of Information Systems www.imis.org.uk

Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy www.cipfa.org.uk

Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation www.irrv.org.uk

You may find further information about this area of work in your local/school careers library – under AC.

What should I do next?

Look for current local government Council Tax Officer vacancies in the following places:

• LGjobs.com - the official recruitment website for local government.
• Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly jobs bulletins produced by local councils themselves, available from libraries, community centres, town halls/main civic buildings and central council personnel departments.
• Local council websites.
• Local newspapers
• National newspapers – The Guardian is particularly well known for its public sector job advertisements on a Wednesday.

Find out about the council and get some work experience if possible by:

• Making the most of work experience placements arranged through your school, college or university.
• Contacting councils close to your home to find out about the work experience opportunities they offer.
• Talking to someone who does the job you are interested in – ring your local council to see if someone can spare some time.
• Making an appointment to see a careers adviser for more specific information about jobs and training.