Where your money goes
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Where your council tax goes in East Dunbartonshire

Last updated . Figures refresh every night. How each figure is worked out.

A Band D council tax bill in East Dunbartonshire is £1,751.67 for 2026-27, split between East Dunbartonshire £1,751.67. Shared out in proportion to what each body spends, the largest single line is education at East Dunbartonshire: £1,043.78 of the bill. Council tax pays for 15% of the council's own spending; the rest is government grant, business rates and fees.

Figures for the 2026–27 financial year. Source: Scottish Government.

Key figures

  • £1,751.67Band D bill, 2026-27 As of 6 April 2026
  • £1,751.67Goes to East Dunbartonshire itself (100%) As of 6 April 2026
  • £1,043.78Largest line: education As of 3 February 2026
  • 15.3%Of the council's money that comes from council tax, 2024-25 As of 3 February 2026

Source: Scottish Government.

Who gets your bill

Figures are for a Band D home. Bands A to H pay a fixed fraction of this, set in law.

East Dunbartonshire 100%

In Scotland the whole bill goes to the council. Police and fire have been funded nationally since 2013, and the water and sewerage charges on the same bill belong to Scottish Water.

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.

Your bill: £1,751.67

  1. East Dunbartonshire £1,751.67

    Your council · 100.0% of the bill

East Dunbartonshire

£1,751.67 of your bill goes to East Dunbartonshire. It is shared out below in proportion to how East Dunbartonshire spent its money in 2024-25, its latest published return.

  1. Education £1,043.78

    59.6% of this part · £191.2m in 2024-25 · £1,745 per resident; similar councils £1,430 · up 9.1% on 2023-24

  2. 23.7% of this part · £76.2m in 2024-25 · £695 per resident; similar councils £729 · down 3.3% on 2023-24

  3. 4.0% of this part · £12.7m in 2024-25 · £116 per resident; similar councils £136 · down 19.1% on 2023-24

  4. 3.3% of this part · £10.6m in 2024-25 · £97 per resident; similar councils £116 · down 2.6% on 2023-24

  5. 3.1% of this part · £10.1m in 2024-25 · £92 per resident; similar councils £65 · down 12.9% on 2023-24

  6. 2.7% of this part · £8.5m in 2024-25 · £78 per resident; similar councils £93 · down 12.8% on 2023-24

  7. 2.3% of this part · £7.4m in 2024-25 · £68 per resident; similar councils £33 · down 8.5% on 2023-24

  8. 0.9% of this part · £2.9m in 2024-25 · £27 per resident; similar councils £60 · down 23.9% on 2023-24

    Not council homes: see the note.

  9. Children's social care £6.50

    0.4% of this part · £1.2m in 2024-25 · £11 per resident; similar councils £154 · down 34.5% on 2023-24

Which councils count as similar

Medians are across the 10 Scottish councils closest in population: South Ayrshire, Angus, East Lothian, Scottish Borders, Midlothian, East Renfrewshire, East Ayrshire, Moray, Stirling, North Ayrshire. Per-resident figures use ONS mid-year population estimates.

Education

£1,043.78 of your bill goes to education at East Dunbartonshire. Here is how its £191.2m of net spending on it divides in the return.

  1. Secondary schools £456.74

    43.8% of this · £83.7m in 2024-25 · £764 per resident; similar councils £516 · up 5.7% on 2023-24

  2. Primary schools £362.37

    34.7% of this · £66.4m in 2024-25 · £606 per resident; similar councils £507 · up 2.4% on 2023-24

  3. Early years and nursery £123.60

    11.8% of this · £22.6m in 2024-25 · £207 per resident; similar councils £183 · up 92.4% on 2023-24

  4. Special schools and alternative provision £93.24

    8.9% of this · £17.1m in 2024-25 · £156 per resident; similar councils £155 · down 1.4% on 2023-24

  5. Community learning £7.83

    0.8% of this · £1.4m in 2024-25 · £13 per resident; similar councils £18 · down 32.8% on 2023-24

Adult social care

£415.81 of your bill goes to adult social care at East Dunbartonshire. Here is how its £76.2m of net spending on it divides in the return.

  1. Paid to the Integration Joint Board £396.84

    95.4% of this · £72.7m in 2024-25 · £664 per resident; similar councils £713 · down 3.4% on 2023-24

  2. Adult social care run by the council directly £17.68

    4.3% of this · £3.2m in 2024-25 · £30 per resident; similar councils £1.98 · down 1.0% on 2023-24

  3. Other adult services £1.18

    0.3% of this · £216k in 2024-25 · £1.97 per resident; similar councils £5.42 · down 10.4% on 2023-24

  4. Criminal justice social work £0.11

    under 0.1% of this · £20k in 2024-25 · £0.18 per resident; similar councils £0.44 · up 5.3% on 2023-24

Environment and regulation

£69.43 of your bill goes to environment and regulation at East Dunbartonshire. Here is how its £12.7m of net spending on it divides in the return.

  1. Waste disposal £36.84

    53.1% of this · £6.8m in 2024-25 · £62 per resident; similar councils £50 · up 3.9% on 2023-24

  2. Waste collection £12.51

    18.0% of this · £2.3m in 2024-25 · £21 per resident; similar councils £38 · down 51.2% on 2023-24

  3. Environmental health, food safety, pest control and licensing £8.25

    11.9% of this · £1.5m in 2024-25 · £14 per resident; similar councils £13 · down 20.1% on 2023-24

  4. Trading standards £5.35

    7.7% of this · £986k in 2024-25 · £9.00 per resident; similar councils £5.86 · down 5.6% on 2023-24

  5. Other environmental services £5.06

    7.3% of this · £933k in 2024-25 · £8.52 per resident; similar councils £18 · down 15.7% on 2023-24

  6. Flood defence, land drainage and coast protection £0.72

    1.0% of this · £133k in 2024-25 · £1.21 per resident; similar councils £2.86 · down 17.4% on 2023-24

  7. Not itemised in the return £0.71

    1.0% of this · £131k in 2024-25 · £1.20 per resident; similar councils £0.00

"Not itemised in the return" is the difference between the service total and the lines the return lists.

Parks, leisure, libraries and culture

£58.07 of your bill goes to parks, leisure, libraries and culture at East Dunbartonshire. Here is how its £10.6m of net spending on it divides in the return.

  1. Sport and leisure £23.18

    39.9% of this · £4.2m in 2024-25 · £39 per resident; similar councils £42 · up 5.0% on 2023-24

  2. Parks and open spaces (including play areas) £18.97

    32.7% of this · £3.5m in 2024-25 · £32 per resident; similar councils £29 · down 13.6% on 2023-24

  3. Libraries £12.24

    21.1% of this · £2.2m in 2024-25 · £20 per resident; similar councils £23 · down 0.5% on 2023-24

  4. Museums, arts, heritage and archives £2.95

    5.1% of this · £541k in 2024-25 · £4.94 per resident; similar councils £11 · up 1.7% on 2023-24

  5. Tourism £0.74

    1.3% of this · £135k in 2024-25 · £1.23 per resident; similar councils £0.76 · up 101.5% on 2023-24

Running the council

£55.07 of your bill goes to running the council at East Dunbartonshire. Here is how its £10.1m of net spending on it divides in the return.

  1. Non-distributed costs (past pensions, unused assets) £25.49

    46.3% of this · £4.7m in 2024-25 · £43 per resident; similar councils £6.20 · down 13.1% on 2023-24

  2. Corporate and democratic core £16.92

    30.7% of this · £3.1m in 2024-25 · £28 per resident; similar councils £28 · down 2.4% on 2023-24

  3. Council tax and rates valuation £3.51

    6.4% of this · £642k in 2024-25 · £5.86 per resident; similar councils £5.34 · up 1.4% on 2023-24

  4. Collecting council tax and business rates £2.75

    5.0% of this · £503k in 2024-25 · £4.59 per resident; similar councils £9.50 · down 31.6% on 2023-24

  5. Other central services £2.36

    4.3% of this · £433k in 2024-25 · £3.95 per resident; similar councils £0.94 · down 48.1% on 2023-24

  6. Elections and electoral registration £1.38

    2.5% of this · £253k in 2024-25 · £2.31 per resident; similar councils £2.05 · up 90.2% on 2023-24

  7. Registering births, deaths and marriages £0.33

    0.6% of this · £61k in 2024-25 · £0.56 per resident; similar councils £1.41 · up 19.6% on 2023-24

  8. Emergency planning £0.31

    0.6% of this · £56k in 2024-25 · £0.51 per resident; similar councils £0.67 · down 8.2% on 2023-24

  9. Not itemised in the return £2.02

    3.7% of this · £370k in 2024-25 · £3.38 per resident; similar councils £2.15 · down 37.1% on 2023-24

"Not itemised in the return" is the difference between the service total and the lines the return lists.

Roads and transport

£46.51 of your bill goes to roads and transport at East Dunbartonshire. Here is how its £8.5m of net spending on it divides in the return.

  1. Road and bridge maintenance £14.67

    31.5% of this · £2.7m in 2024-25 · £25 per resident; similar councils £47 · down 15.5% on 2023-24

  2. Support for bus, rail and other public transport £9.57

    20.6% of this · £1.8m in 2024-25 · £16 per resident; similar councils £17 · down 0.6% on 2023-24

  3. Street lighting (including energy) £9.13

    19.6% of this · £1.7m in 2024-25 · £15 per resident; similar councils £13 · up 5.9% on 2023-24

  4. Traffic management and road safety £7.68

    16.5% of this · £1.4m in 2024-25 · £13 per resident; similar councils £6.14 · down 7.3% on 2023-24

  5. Winter service (gritting) £3.87

    8.3% of this · £708k in 2024-25 · £6.46 per resident; similar councils £13 · down 32.2% on 2023-24

  6. Concessionary bus fares £1.27

    2.7% of this · £233k in 2024-25 · £2.13 per resident; similar councils £0.06 · up 0.4% on 2023-24

  7. Parking £0.33

    0.7% of this · £61k in 2024-25 · £0.56 per resident; similar councils £-0.25 · down 86.5% on 2023-24

Planning and development

£40.44 of your bill goes to planning and development at East Dunbartonshire. Here is how its £7.4m of net spending on it divides in the return.

  1. Economic development and business support £27.12

    67.1% of this · £5.0m in 2024-25 · £45 per resident; similar councils £16 · down 8.3% on 2023-24

  2. Planning policy £8.39

    20.7% of this · £1.5m in 2024-25 · £14 per resident; similar councils £7.14 · down 7.5% on 2023-24

  3. Building control £3.47

    8.6% of this · £635k in 2024-25 · £5.80 per resident; similar councils £1.34 · down 1.1% on 2023-24

  4. Planning applications (development management) £1.23

    3.0% of this · £225k in 2024-25 · £2.05 per resident; similar councils £1.11 · down 41.6% on 2023-24

  5. Environmental initiatives £0.24

    0.6% of this · £44k in 2024-25 · £0.40 per resident; similar councils £2.01

Housing (not council homes)

£16.05 of your bill goes to housing (not council homes) at East Dunbartonshire. Here is how its £2.9m of net spending on it divides in the return.

  1. Homelessness and temporary accommodation £5.88

    36.6% of this · £1.3m in 2024-25 · £12 per resident; similar councils £9.12 · down 15.7% on 2023-24

  2. Other General Fund housing £5.65

    35.2% of this · £1.2m in 2024-25 · £11 per resident; similar councils £9.37 · down 2.4% on 2023-24

  3. Housing benefit administration and discretionary payments £3.70

    23.1% of this · £794k in 2024-25 · £7.25 per resident; similar councils £16 · down 25.9% on 2023-24

  4. Supporting People and welfare services £0.82

    5.1% of this · £175k in 2024-25 · £1.60 per resident; similar councils £8.13 · down 72.6% on 2023-24

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. East Dunbartonshire's Housing Revenue Account took in £17.7m and spent £10.5m in 2024-25. What council tax does and doesn't pay for.

Parks, street cleaning and roads here

What East Dunbartonshire 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.

East Dunbartonshire, 2024-25
LineNet spendingPer residentSimilar councils, per residentPer mile of roadChange
Parks and open spaces (including play areas)
Details for Parks and open spaces (including play areas)
£3.5m£32£29—down 13.6% on 2023-24
Per resident
£32
Similar councils, per resident
£29
Per mile of road
—
Change
down 13.6% on 2023-24
Road and bridge maintenance
Details for Road and bridge maintenance
£2.7m£25£47£7,744 (similar: £5,551)down 15.5% on 2023-24
Per resident
£25
Similar councils, per resident
£47
Per mile of road
£7,744 (similar: £5,551)
Change
down 15.5% on 2023-24
Winter service (gritting)
Details for Winter service (gritting)
£708k£6.46£13£2,040 (similar: £2,166)down 32.2% on 2023-24
Per resident
£6.46
Similar councils, per resident
£13
Per mile of road
£2,040 (similar: £2,166)
Change
down 32.2% on 2023-24
Street lighting (including energy)
Details for Street lighting (including energy)
£1.7m£15£13£4,818 (similar: £2,227)up 5.9% on 2023-24
Per resident
£15
Similar councils, per resident
£13
Per mile of road
£4,818 (similar: £2,227)
Change
up 5.9% on 2023-24

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 it adds up to

East Dunbartonshire: net spending per resident by service, 2024-25, against the median for Scottish councils
ServicePer residentMedian
Education
Details for Education
£1,745£1,442
Median
£1,442
Adult social care
Details for Adult social care
£695£707
Median
£707
Environment and regulation
Details for Environment and regulation
£116£139
Median
£139
Parks, leisure, libraries and culture
Details for Parks, leisure, libraries and culture
£97£115
Median
£115
Running the council
Details for Running the council
£92£82
Median
£82
Roads and transport
Details for Roads and transport
£78£89
Median
£89
Planning and development
Details for Planning and development
£68£34
Median
£34
Housing (not council homes)
Details for Housing (not council homes)
£27£59
Median
£59
Children's social care
Details for Children's social care
£11£174
Median
£174
  • East Dunbartonshire spent 43.6% of its gross service spending on its own staff in 2024-25 (median for Scottish councils: 41.9%); 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

How the split is worked out, and how the three nations' returns are matched to one list of services, is on the methodology page. The dataset is on the data page. See also council tax in East Dunbartonshire and everything else about East Dunbartonshire.

Common questions

What does council tax pay for in East Dunbartonshire?
A Band D bill of £1,751.67 is split between East Dunbartonshire. In proportion to spending, the largest line is education, £1,043.78.
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

SourcePublisherFigures as ofUpdatedLicence
Council Tax Assumptions: Council Tax by BandScottish Governmentthe 2026–27 financial yearannualOpen Government Licence v3.0
Scottish Local Government Finance StatisticsScottish Government3 February 2026annualOpen Government Licence v3.0

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.

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