# Where your council tax goes in City of London url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/england/city-of-london/where-it-goes/ updated: 29 September 2026 licence: Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Figures: each source's own licence, listed under Sources. publisher: [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk) # Where your council tax goes in City of London Last updated 29 September 2026. Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/). A Band D council tax bill in **City of London** is **£1,329.56** for 2026-27, split between City of London £1,091.25, City of London: adult social care precept, this year's increase £21.13, Greater London Authority £176.38, Parish and town councils (average for the area) £40.80. Shared out in proportion to what each body spends, the largest single line is policing at City of London: **£741.00** of the bill. Council tax pays for 2% of the council's own spending; the rest is government grant, business rates and fees. Figures for the 2026–27 financial year. Source: [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics). ## Key figures - £1,329.56Band D bill, 2026-27 As of 6 April 2026 - £1,091.25Goes to City of London itself (82%) As of 6 April 2026 - £741.00Largest line: policing As of 28 September 2026 - 1.9%Of the council's money that comes from council tax, 2025-26 As of 28 September 2026 Source: [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics). ## Who gets your bill Your council tax band A B C D E F G H Figures are for a **Band D** home. Bands A to H pay a fixed fraction of this, set in law. 1091.25 21.13 176.38 40.80 City of London 82%City of London: adult social care precept, this year's increase 2%Greater London Authority 13%Parish and town councils (average for the area) 3% Parish precepts differ from parish to parish; this is the average across the area, and a home outside any parish pays none. ## And where does that bit go? Choose any part of the bill to see how it divides, then keep going as far as the published returns allow. Every level has its own link you can share. ### Where the rest comes from **Council tax pays for 1.9%** of the money City of London had to spend in 2025-26. ********** - Council tax 1.9% £10.2m - Business rates 10.3% £55.2m - General government grant 14.2% £76.6m - Government grants for specific services 31.4% £168.7m - Fees, charges and other income 42.3% £227.4m It also put £72.1m into its reserves that year. Council tax is pooled with the council's other money, not ring-fenced for any service. The split on this page shares your bill out in proportion to what each body spends; it does not say what any one pound paid for. - Your bill ### Your bill: £1,329.56 - [City of London](#d-council) £1,091.25 ** Your council · 82.1% of the bill - [City of London: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) £21.13 ** Adult social care precept · 1.6% of the bill - [Greater London Authority](#d-gla) £176.38 ** Greater London Authority · 13.3% of the bill - Parish and town councils (average for the area) £40.80 ** Parish or town council · 3.1% of the bill. Parish, town and community councils do not file spending returns with the government, so there is no national breakdown. Each publishes its own annual accounts. - [Your bill](#d-bill) - City of London ### City of London £1,091.25 of your bill goes to City of London. It is shared out below in proportion to how City of London spent its money in 2025-26, its latest published return. - Policing £741.00 ** 67.9% of this part · £238.1m in 2025-26 · £15,233 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · up 6.9% on 2024-25 - [Parks, leisure, libraries and culture](#d-council~culture-leisure) £157.86 ** 14.5% of this part · £50.7m in 2025-26 · £3,245 per resident; similar councils £40 · down 5.5% on 2024-25 - [Environment and regulation](#d-council~environment) £53.23 ** 4.9% of this part · £17.1m in 2025-26 · £1,094 per resident; similar councils £145 · down 15.7% on 2024-25 - [Planning and development](#d-council~planning-development) £31.84 ** 2.9% of this part · £10.2m in 2025-26 · £655 per resident; similar councils £27 · down 1.0% on 2024-25 - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) £25.66 ** 2.4% of this part · £8.2m in 2025-26 · £527 per resident; similar councils £493 · up 3.9% on 2024-25 - [Housing (not council homes)](#d-council~housing) £24.94 ** 2.3% of this part · £8.0m in 2025-26 · £513 per resident; similar councils £156 · up 39.4% on 2024-25 Not council homes: [see the note](#d-council~housing). - [Running the council](#d-council~central) £23.47 ** 2.2% of this part · £7.5m in 2025-26 · £483 per resident; similar councils £77 · down 58.6% on 2024-25 - [Education](#d-council~education) £17.54 ** 1.6% of this part · £9.8m in 2025-26 · £628 per resident; similar councils £929 · down 2.2% on 2024-25 - [Children's social care](#d-council~childrens-social-care) £15.71 ** 1.4% of this part · £5.0m in 2025-26 · £323 per resident; similar councils £331 · down 0.5% on 2024-25 Roads and transport brought in £3.2m more than it cost; Other services brought in £62k more than it cost in 2025-26, so they take no share of your bill. Before sharing out your bill, the part of education paid for by the Dedicated Schools Grant (£4.2m) and public health paid for by the public health grant (£1.9m) is taken off, because council tax does not pay for it. **Which councils count as similar** Medians are across the 10 London boroughs closest in population: Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston Upon Thames, Hammersmith and Fulham, Richmond upon Thames, Westminster, Sutton, Camden, Merton, Islington, Barking and Dagenham. Per-resident figures use ONS mid-year population estimates. - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [City of London](#d-council) - Parks, leisure, libraries and culture ### Parks, leisure, libraries and culture £157.86 of your bill goes to parks, leisure, libraries and culture at City of London. Here is how its £50.7m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Museums, arts, heritage and archives £123.18 ** 78.0% of this · £39.6m in 2025-26 · £2,532 per resident; similar councils £4.71 · down 7.7% on 2024-25 - Libraries £20.41 ** 12.9% of this · £6.6m in 2025-26 · £419 per resident; similar councils £21 · up 20.4% on 2024-25 - Parks and open spaces (including play areas) £8.39 ** 5.3% of this · £2.7m in 2025-26 · £172 per resident; similar councils £20 · down 5.0% on 2024-25 - Tourism £4.28 ** 2.7% of this · £1.4m in 2025-26 · £88 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · down 32.2% on 2024-25 - Sport and leisure £1.39 ** 0.9% of this · £446k in 2025-26 · £29 per resident; similar councils £-0.79 · up 22.2% on 2024-25 - Community centres and public halls £0.22 ** 0.1% of this · £70k in 2025-26 · £4.48 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · down 19.5% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [City of London](#d-council) - Environment and regulation ### Environment and regulation £53.23 of your bill goes to environment and regulation at City of London. Here is how its £17.1m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Street cleaning £22.71 ** 42.7% of this · £7.6m in 2025-26 · £485 per resident; similar councils £42 · down 6.1% on 2024-25 - Environmental health, food safety, pest control and licensing £8.31 ** 15.6% of this · £2.8m in 2025-26 · £177 per resident; similar councils £17 · down 47.7% on 2024-25 - Recycling and waste minimisation £4.79 ** 9.0% of this · £1.6m in 2025-26 · £102 per resident; similar councils £18 · down 4.5% on 2024-25 - Waste collection £4.70 ** 8.8% of this · £1.6m in 2025-26 · £100 per resident; similar councils £33 · down 6.4% on 2024-25 - Waste disposal £4.41 ** 8.3% of this · £1.5m in 2025-26 · £94 per resident; similar councils £28 · down 11.3% on 2024-25 - Public toilets £3.40 ** 6.4% of this · £1.1m in 2025-26 · £72 per resident; similar councils £0.30 · up 55.4% on 2024-25 - Cemeteries and crematoria £2.04 ** 3.8% of this · £682k in 2025-26 · £44 per resident; similar councils £0.81 · up 215.7% on 2024-25 - Community safety and CCTV £1.56 ** 2.9% of this · £519k in 2025-26 · £33 per resident; similar councils £14 · down 51.0% on 2024-25 - Trading standards £1.31 ** 2.5% of this · £438k in 2025-26 · £28 per resident; similar councils £1.63 · down 12.2% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [City of London](#d-council) - Planning and development ### Planning and development £31.84 of your bill goes to planning and development at City of London. Here is how its £10.2m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Economic development and business support £11.34 ** 35.6% of this · £3.6m in 2025-26 · £233 per resident; similar councils £9.06 · down 21.8% on 2024-25 - Environmental initiatives £8.05 ** 25.3% of this · £2.6m in 2025-26 · £166 per resident; similar councils £0.70 · up 44.7% on 2024-25 - Planning policy £6.39 ** 20.1% of this · £2.1m in 2025-26 · £131 per resident; similar councils £4.25 · up 29.7% on 2024-25 - Planning applications (development management) £3.19 ** 10.0% of this · £1.0m in 2025-26 · £66 per resident; similar councils £4.15 - Building control £2.87 ** 9.0% of this · £921k in 2025-26 · £59 per resident; similar councils £2.75 · down 9.4% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [City of London](#d-council) - Adult social care ### Adult social care £25.66 of your bill goes to adult social care at City of London. Here is how its £8.2m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Care assessment and safeguarding £8.56 ** 33.4% of this · £2.8m in 2025-26 · £176 per resident; similar councils £96 · down 1.0% on 2024-25 - [Physical support](#d-council~adult-social-care.physical) £6.32 ** 24.6% of this · £2.0m in 2025-26 · £130 per resident; similar councils £161 · up 10.1% on 2024-25 - [Mental health support](#d-council~adult-social-care.mental-health) £5.49 ** 21.4% of this · £1.8m in 2025-26 · £113 per resident; similar councils £50 · up 9.0% on 2024-25 - Learning disability support £1.95 ** 7.6% of this · £625k in 2025-26 · £40 per resident; similar councils £129 · down 3.0% on 2024-25 - Commissioning, strategy and administration £1.88 ** 7.3% of this · £605k in 2025-26 · £39 per resident; similar councils £28 · up 29.3% on 2024-25 - Support with memory and cognition £1.03 ** 4.0% of this · £330k in 2025-26 · £21 per resident; similar councils £19 · up 40.4% on 2024-25 - Social support (carers, substance misuse, isolation, asylum) £0.30 ** 1.2% of this · £96k in 2025-26 · £6.14 per resident; similar councils £4.99 · down 64.6% on 2024-25 - Assistive equipment and technology £0.12 ** 0.5% of this · £39k in 2025-26 · £2.50 per resident; similar councils £5.16 · down 33.9% on 2024-25 - Sensory support £0.02 ** under 0.1% of this · £5k in 2025-26 · £0.32 per resident; similar councils £2.15 · down 68.7% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [City of London](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Physical support ### Physical support £6.32 of your bill goes to physical support at City of London. Here is how its £2.0m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £5.21 ** 82.4% of this · £1.7m in 2025-26 · £107 per resident; similar councils £109 · up 12.1% on 2024-25 - Aged 18 to 64 £1.11 ** 17.6% of this · £357k in 2025-26 · £23 per resident; similar councils £40 · up 1.7% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [City of London](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Mental health support ### Mental health support £5.49 of your bill goes to mental health support at City of London. Here is how its £1.8m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £4.29 ** 78.2% of this · £1.4m in 2025-26 · £88 per resident; similar councils £38 · up 9.4% on 2024-25 - Aged 65 and over £1.20 ** 21.8% of this · £385k in 2025-26 · £25 per resident; similar councils £15 · up 7.5% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [City of London](#d-council) - Housing (not council homes) ### Housing (not council homes) £24.94 of your bill goes to housing (not council homes) at City of London. Here is how its £8.0m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Homelessness and temporary accommodation £18.35 ** 73.6% of this · £6.1m in 2025-26 · £389 per resident; similar councils £109 · up 16.7% on 2024-25 - Supporting People and welfare services £3.88 ** 15.6% of this · £1.3m in 2025-26 · £82 per resident; similar councils £7.74 · up 36.0% on 2024-25 - Housing strategy, advice and enabling £2.41 ** 9.7% of this · £800k in 2025-26 · £51 per resident; similar councils £10 · up 189.9% on 2024-25 - Housing benefit administration and discretionary payments £0.30 ** 1.2% of this · £100k in 2025-26 · £6.40 per resident; similar councils £15 · up 3.1% on 2024-25 **Council homes are not in this.** Council housing is paid for through the Housing Revenue Account, from tenants' rents, and the law keeps it separate from the General Fund that council tax goes into. City of London's Housing Revenue Account took in £17.9m and spent £17.8m in 2025-26. [What council tax does and doesn't pay for](/what-council-tax-pays-for/#ring-fence). - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [City of London](#d-council) - Running the council ### Running the council £23.47 of your bill goes to running the council at City of London. Here is how its £7.5m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Corporate and democratic core £17.75 ** 75.6% of this · £5.7m in 2025-26 · £367 per resident; similar councils £37 · down 9.3% on 2024-25 - Collecting council tax and business rates £1.84 ** 7.8% of this · £593k in 2025-26 · £38 per resident; similar councils £7.40 · up 45.7% on 2024-25 - Emergency planning £1.80 ** 7.7% of this · £582k in 2025-26 · £37 per resident; similar councils £1.27 - Elections and electoral registration £1.40 ** 6.0% of this · £453k in 2025-26 · £29 per resident; similar councils £3.67 · down 23.2% on 2024-25 - Registering births, deaths and marriages £0.37 ** 1.6% of this · £119k in 2025-26 · £7.61 per resident; similar councils £-0.12 · up 50.6% on 2024-25 - Coroners' and other courts £0.31 ** 1.3% of this · £100k in 2025-26 · £6.40 per resident; similar councils £2.91 · down 97.7% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [City of London](#d-council) - Education ### Education £17.54 of your bill goes to education at City of London. Here is how its £9.8m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Other education £7.33 ** 41.8% of this · £4.1m in 2025-26 · £262 per resident; similar councils £110 · up 11.3% on 2024-25 - Primary schools £5.88 ** 33.5% of this · £3.3m in 2025-26 · £210 per resident; similar councils £379 · down 19.1% on 2024-25 - Early years and nursery £4.04 ** 23.1% of this · £2.3m in 2025-26 · £145 per resident; similar councils £152 · up 9.6% on 2024-25 - Secondary schools £0.29 ** 1.6% of this · £161k in 2025-26 · £10 per resident; similar councils £132 · down 27.1% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [City of London](#d-council) - Children's social care ### Children's social care £15.71 of your bill goes to children's social care at City of London. Here is how its £5.0m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Asylum-seeking children £5.19 ** 33.0% of this · £1.7m in 2025-26 · £107 per resident; similar councils £9.27 · down 2.1% on 2024-25 - Services for young people £4.43 ** 28.2% of this · £1.4m in 2025-26 · £91 per resident; similar councils £25 · down 9.8% on 2024-25 - Children looked after £3.35 ** 21.4% of this · £1.1m in 2025-26 · £69 per resident; similar councils £132 · up 20.6% on 2024-25 - Safeguarding and social work £2.26 ** 14.4% of this · £726k in 2025-26 · £46 per resident; similar councils £77 · down 3.7% on 2024-25 - Family support £0.47 ** 3.0% of this · £152k in 2025-26 · £9.72 per resident; similar councils £40 · up 7.8% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - City of London: adult social care precept, this year's increase ### City of London: adult social care precept, this year's increase £21.13 of your bill is this year's adult social care precept, which councils may raise on top of the usual limit for adult social care. It is shown against how City of London's adult social care spending of £8.2m divided in 2025-26. MHCLG publishes only this year's increase; the running total since 2016-17 printed on your bill is in the council part above. - Care assessment and safeguarding £7.05 ** 33.4% of this precept · £2.8m in 2025-26 · £176 per resident; similar councils £96 · down 1.0% on 2024-25 - [Physical support](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.physical) £5.20 ** 24.6% of this precept · £2.0m in 2025-26 · £130 per resident; similar councils £161 · up 10.1% on 2024-25 - [Mental health support](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.mental-health) £4.52 ** 21.4% of this precept · £1.8m in 2025-26 · £113 per resident; similar councils £50 · up 9.0% on 2024-25 - Learning disability support £1.60 ** 7.6% of this precept · £625k in 2025-26 · £40 per resident; similar councils £129 · down 3.0% on 2024-25 - Commissioning, strategy and administration £1.55 ** 7.3% of this precept · £605k in 2025-26 · £39 per resident; similar councils £28 · up 29.3% on 2024-25 - Support with memory and cognition £0.85 ** 4.0% of this precept · £330k in 2025-26 · £21 per resident; similar councils £19 · up 40.4% on 2024-25 - Social support (carers, substance misuse, isolation, asylum) £0.25 ** 1.2% of this precept · £96k in 2025-26 · £6.14 per resident; similar councils £4.99 · down 64.6% on 2024-25 - Assistive equipment and technology £0.10 ** 0.5% of this precept · £39k in 2025-26 · £2.50 per resident; similar councils £5.16 · down 33.9% on 2024-25 - Sensory support £0.01 ** under 0.1% of this precept · £5k in 2025-26 · £0.32 per resident; similar councils £2.15 · down 68.7% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [City of London: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Physical support ### Physical support £5.20 of your bill goes to physical support at City of London. Here is how its £2.0m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £4.29 ** 82.4% of this · £1.7m in 2025-26 · £107 per resident; similar councils £109 · up 12.1% on 2024-25 - Aged 18 to 64 £0.91 ** 17.6% of this · £357k in 2025-26 · £23 per resident; similar councils £40 · up 1.7% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [City of London: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Mental health support ### Mental health support £4.52 of your bill goes to mental health support at City of London. Here is how its £1.8m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £3.54 ** 78.2% of this · £1.4m in 2025-26 · £88 per resident; similar councils £38 · up 9.4% on 2024-25 - Aged 65 and over £0.99 ** 21.8% of this · £385k in 2025-26 · £25 per resident; similar councils £15 · up 7.5% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - Greater London Authority ### Greater London Authority £176.38 of your bill goes to Greater London Authority. It is shared out below in proportion to how Greater London Authority spent its money in 2025-26, its latest published return. - Policing £99.11 ** 56.2% of this part · £4.53bn in 2025-26 · £497 per resident · up 3.5% on 2024-25 - [Roads and transport](#d-gla~highways-transport) £41.33 ** 23.4% of this part · £1.89bn in 2025-26 · £207 per resident · up 3.8% on 2024-25 - Education £12.83 ** 7.3% of this part · £586.9m in 2025-26 · £64 per resident · up 11.1% on 2024-25 - Fire and rescue £12.60 ** 7.1% of this part · £576.1m in 2025-26 · £63 per resident · up 4.2% on 2024-25 - [Planning and development](#d-gla~planning-development) £3.30 ** 1.9% of this part · £151.0m in 2025-26 · £17 per resident · down 3.5% on 2024-25 - [Environment and regulation](#d-gla~environment) £2.57 ** 1.5% of this part · £117.7m in 2025-26 · £13 per resident · down 7.7% on 2024-25 - [Housing (not council homes)](#d-gla~housing) £2.04 ** 1.2% of this part · £93.5m in 2025-26 · £10 per resident · up 41.7% on 2024-25 Not council homes: [see the note](#d-gla~housing). - [Running the council](#d-gla~central) £1.63 ** 0.9% of this part · £74.7m in 2025-26 · £8.18 per resident · down 51.2% on 2024-25 - [Parks, leisure, libraries and culture](#d-gla~culture-leisure) £0.67 ** 0.4% of this part · £30.5m in 2025-26 · £3.35 per resident · down 6.4% on 2024-25 - Children's social care £0.19 ** 0.1% of this part · £8.6m in 2025-26 · £0.95 per resident · down 45.2% on 2024-25 - Public health £0.11 ** under 0.1% of this part · £5.0m in 2025-26 · £0.54 per resident No similar-council comparison: no comparison: no other body does the same mix of things. - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Greater London Authority](#d-gla) - Roads and transport ### Roads and transport £41.33 of your bill goes to roads and transport at Greater London Authority. Here is how its £1.89bn of net spending on it divides in the return. - Support for bus, rail and other public transport £37.99 ** 91.9% of this · £2.12bn in 2025-26 · £233 per resident · up 7.1% on 2024-25 - [Road and bridge maintenance](#d-gla~highways-transport.maintenance) £2.66 ** 6.4% of this · £148.9m in 2025-26 · £16 per resident · up 13.6% on 2024-25 - Transport planning and policy £0.44 ** 1.1% of this · £24.3m in 2025-26 · £2.67 per resident · down 51.1% on 2024-25 - Street lighting (including energy) £0.24 ** 0.6% of this · £13.4m in 2025-26 · £1.47 per resident · down 8.8% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Greater London Authority](#d-gla) - [Roads and transport](#d-gla~highways-transport) - Road and bridge maintenance ### Road and bridge maintenance £2.66 of your bill goes to road and bridge maintenance at Greater London Authority. Here is how its £148.9m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Structural maintenance (resurfacing, bridges) £1.90 ** 71.4% of this · £106.3m in 2025-26 · £12 per resident · up 12.9% on 2024-25 - Environmental, safety and routine maintenance £0.76 ** 28.6% of this · £42.6m in 2025-26 · £4.67 per resident · up 15.4% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Greater London Authority](#d-gla) - Planning and development ### Planning and development £3.30 of your bill goes to planning and development at Greater London Authority. Here is how its £151.0m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Economic development and business support £1.87 ** 56.7% of this · £85.6m in 2025-26 · £9.39 per resident · down 15.0% on 2024-25 - Environmental initiatives £0.53 ** 16.1% of this · £24.3m in 2025-26 · £2.67 per resident · down 3.7% on 2024-25 - Community development £0.39 ** 11.7% of this · £17.7m in 2025-26 · £1.94 per resident · up 42.1% on 2024-25 - Planning policy £0.29 ** 8.7% of this · £13.1m in 2025-26 · £1.44 per resident · up 37.2% on 2024-25 - Planning applications (development management) £0.22 ** 6.7% of this · £10.2m in 2025-26 · £1.12 per resident · up 21.6% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Greater London Authority](#d-gla) - Environment and regulation ### Environment and regulation £2.57 of your bill goes to environment and regulation at Greater London Authority. Here is how its £117.7m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Community safety and CCTV £2.29 ** 88.8% of this · £104.5m in 2025-26 · £11 per resident · down 3.3% on 2024-25 - Environmental health, food safety, pest control and licensing £0.29 ** 11.1% of this · £13.1m in 2025-26 · £1.43 per resident · down 32.7% on 2024-25 - Flood defence, land drainage and coast protection £0.00 ** 0.1% of this · £139k in 2025-26 · £0.02 per resident · up 75.9% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Greater London Authority](#d-gla) - Housing (not council homes) ### Housing (not council homes) £2.04 of your bill goes to housing (not council homes) at Greater London Authority. Here is how its £93.5m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Housing strategy, advice and enabling £0.99 ** 48.4% of this · £45.2m in 2025-26 · £4.96 per resident · up 61.6% on 2024-25 - Homelessness and temporary accommodation £0.53 ** 25.9% of this · £24.2m in 2025-26 · £2.65 per resident · up 9.6% on 2024-25 - Supporting People and welfare services £0.53 ** 25.8% of this · £24.1m in 2025-26 · £2.64 per resident · up 51.5% on 2024-25 **Council homes are not in this.** Council housing is paid for through the Housing Revenue Account, from tenants' rents, and the law keeps it separate from the General Fund that council tax goes into. Greater London Authority reported no Housing Revenue Account for 2025-26: it has no council homes of its own, or they were transferred to a housing association. [What council tax does and doesn't pay for](/what-council-tax-pays-for/#ring-fence). - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Greater London Authority](#d-gla) - Running the council ### Running the council £1.63 of your bill goes to running the council at Greater London Authority. Here is how its £74.7m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Corporate and democratic core £1.35 ** 82.9% of this · £61.9m in 2025-26 · £6.79 per resident · up 33.4% on 2024-25 - Collecting council tax and business rates £0.28 ** 17.1% of this · £12.7m in 2025-26 · £1.40 per resident - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Greater London Authority](#d-gla) - Parks, leisure, libraries and culture ### Parks, leisure, libraries and culture £0.67 of your bill goes to parks, leisure, libraries and culture at Greater London Authority. Here is how its £30.5m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Museums, arts, heritage and archives £0.45 ** 67.8% of this · £20.7m in 2025-26 · £2.27 per resident · down 20.3% on 2024-25 - Sport and leisure £0.21 ** 32.2% of this · £9.8m in 2025-26 · £1.08 per resident · up 48.2% on 2024-25 ## Parks, street cleaning and roads here What City of London spent, net of income, on the lines readers ask about most. Roads and street cleaning are also shown per mile of road the council looks after, where it is the highway authority. Gully cleaning and verge cutting are inside routine maintenance; no return splits them out. | Line | Net spending | Per resident | Similar councils, per resident | Per mile of road | Change | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Parks and open spaces (including play areas)Details | £2.7m | £172 | £20 | — | down 5.0% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£172Similar councils, per resident£20Per mile of road—Changedown 5.0% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Street cleaningDetails | £7.6m | £485 | £42 | £252,467 (similar: £52,165) | down 6.1% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£485Similar councils, per resident£42Per mile of road£252,467 (similar: £52,165)Changedown 6.1% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Road and bridge maintenanceDetails | £5.5m | £352 | £16 | £183,433 (similar: £15,958) | down 18.2% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£352Similar councils, per resident£16Per mile of road£183,433 (similar: £15,958)Changedown 18.2% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Environmental, safety and routine maintenanceDetails | £2.3m | £145 | £11 | £75,400 (similar: £13,707) | down 26.0% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£145Similar councils, per resident£11Per mile of road£75,400 (similar: £13,707)Changedown 26.0% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Structural maintenance (resurfacing, bridges)Details | £3.2m | £207 | £4.07 | £108,033 (similar: £5,460) | down 11.7% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£207Similar councils, per resident£4.07Per mile of road£108,033 (similar: £5,460)Changedown 11.7% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Street lighting (including energy)Details | £943k | £60 | £4.60 | £31,433 (similar: £6,047) | down 15.6% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£60Similar councils, per resident£4.60Per mile of road£31,433 (similar: £6,047)Changedown 15.6% on 2024-25 | | | | | | Miles of road: Department for Transport road lengths, 2025; locally managed major roads and all minor roads. More on [what council tax does and doesn't pay for](/what-council-tax-pays-for/#local-environment). ## What it adds up to | Service | Per resident | Median | | --- | --- | --- | | PolicingDetails | £15,233 | £3.57 | | Median£3.57 | | | | Parks, leisure, libraries and cultureDetails | £3,245 | £39 | | Median£39 | | | | Environment and regulationDetails | £1,094 | £104 | | Median£104 | | | | Planning and developmentDetails | £655 | £23 | | Median£23 | | | | EducationDetails | £628 | £990 | | Median£990 | | | | Adult social careDetails | £527 | £438 | | Median£438 | | | | Housing (not council homes)Details | £513 | £146 | | Median£146 | | | | Running the councilDetails | £483 | £67 | | Median£67 | | | | Children's social careDetails | £323 | £291 | | Median£291 | | | | Public healthDetails | £99 | £82 | | Median£82 | | | | Other servicesDetails | £-3.97 | £17 | | Median£17 | | | | Roads and transportDetails | £-204.59 | £1.75 | | Median£1.75 | | | - City of London spent **46.0%** of its gross service spending on its own staff in 2025-26 (median for London boroughs: 33.2%); the rest went on suppliers, contractors, grants, benefits and other running costs. ## What this data does and doesn't show - These are each body's own figures, as reported to government in its revenue outturn return. Net spending is after the fees, charges and grants a service brings in. - Your bill is for 2026-27; it is shared out using the latest published return, which covers an earlier year. The mix of spending changes little from one year to the next, but it does change. - Council tax is not ring-fenced: this shows your bill in proportion to spending, not what your money bought. Where a precept is set aside for adult social care, it is shown against adult social care. - No council publishes spending at street or property level, so nothing here says what was spent near you. - Sub-service lines are the ones the national returns itemise. Councils describe their own budgets differently; their budget books and statements of accounts have more detail. ## Sources - Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, [Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England: Table 10, local authority level data](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a02eeeccd2e0e8b5b20b449/Table_10_2026-27.ods), published 25 March 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. - Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, [Local authority revenue expenditure and financing: Revenue Outturn multi-year data set](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ab26ffffe72ed1e2b02ee74/Revenue_Outturn_time_series_data_v4.csv), published 28 September 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. How the split is worked out, and how the three nations' returns are matched to one list of services, is on the [methodology page](/methodology/#council-spending). The dataset is on the [data page](/data/#council-spending). See also [council tax in City of London](/council-tax/england/city-of-london/) and [everything else about City of London](/your-area/city-of-london/). ## Common questions What does council tax pay for in City of London? A Band D bill of £1,329.56 is split between City of London, City of London: adult social care precept, this year's increase, Greater London Authority, Parish and town councils (average for the area). In proportion to spending, the largest line is policing, £741.00.Is council tax ring-fenced for particular services? No. Council tax is pooled with grants, business rates and fees. The adult social care precept is the exception: councils raise it for adult social care. ## Sources for this page | Source | Publisher | Figures as of | Updated | Licence | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics) | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | the 2026–27 financial year | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | | [Local authority revenue expenditure and financing: Revenue Outturn multi-year data set](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ab26ffffe72ed1e2b02ee74/Revenue_Outturn_time_series_data_v4.csv) | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 28 September 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | Each source's figures are used under the licence shown. Our own words, analysis, charts and derived calculations are ours, under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Related pages - [Next in this section: Parking income in City of London](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/parking/city-of-london/) - [Back to City of London: your area](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/your-area/city-of-london/) - [How much is council tax and what does it pay for?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/) - [Who is my MP, and what does their office cost?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/mps/) - [Where does my tax money actually go?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/for-every-100-pounds-of-tax/) ## More from this publisher - [UK tax calculators](https://howlongisit.co.uk) Published by [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). The figures belong to the publishers listed under Sources and are used under their licences. Figures last updated 29 September 2026.