Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to Table 4.1 on council tax receipts in the answer of 29 June 2026 to Question 11413 on Council tax, what the reason is for the forecast fall in the percentage change in the taxbase from 1.9% in 2025-26 to 0.7% in 2026-27.

The OBR’s March 2026 Economic and Fiscal Outlook sets out the full details of its methodology and the changes in its latest official forecast.

The change in annual council tax base growth between 2025-26 and 2026-27 in the March 2026 forecast was driven by a range of factors, including dwelling stock, unemployment forecasts, and changes to council tax exemptions, discounts, and premiums.