# Where your council tax goes in Highland url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/scotland/highland/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 Highland Last updated 29 September 2026. Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/). A Band D council tax bill in **Highland** is **£1,633.99** for 2026-27, split between Highland £1,633.99. Shared out in proportion to what each body spends, the largest single line is education at Highland: **£833.95** of the bill. Council tax pays for 16% 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](https://www.gov.scot/publications/council-tax-datasets/). ## Key figures - £1,633.99Band D bill, 2026-27 As of 6 April 2026 - £1,633.99Goes to Highland itself (100%) As of 6 April 2026 - £833.95Largest line: education As of 3 February 2026 - 16.5%Of the council's money that comes from council tax, 2024-25 As of 3 February 2026 Source: [Scottish Government](https://www.gov.scot/publications/council-tax-datasets/). ## 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. 1633.99 Highland 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. ### Where the rest comes from **Council tax pays for 16.5%** of the money Highland had to spend in 2024-25. ********** - Council tax 16.5% £153.2m - Business rates 17.3% £160.3m - General government grant 47.9% £444.8m - Government grants for specific services 8.5% £78.5m - Fees, charges and other income 9.9% £92.2m 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: £1,633.99 - [Highland](#d-council) £1,633.99 ** Your council · 100.0% of the bill - [Your bill](#d-bill) - Highland ### Highland £1,633.99 of your bill goes to Highland. It is shared out below in proportion to how Highland spent its money in 2024-25, its latest published return. - [Education](#d-council~education) £833.95 ** 51.0% of this part · £366.6m in 2024-25 · £1,545 per resident; similar councils £1,415 · up 14.2% on 2023-24 - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) £358.69 ** 22.0% of this part · £157.7m in 2024-25 · £665 per resident; similar councils £652 · up 1.4% on 2023-24 - Children's social care £130.13 ** 8.0% of this part · £57.2m in 2024-25 · £241 per resident; similar councils £186 · up 15.3% on 2023-24 - [Roads and transport](#d-council~highways-transport) £97.64 ** 6.0% of this part · £42.9m in 2024-25 · £181 per resident; similar councils £79 · up 0.6% on 2023-24 - [Environment and regulation](#d-council~environment) £93.96 ** 5.8% of this part · £41.3m in 2024-25 · £174 per resident; similar councils £131 · up 4.3% on 2023-24 - [Parks, leisure, libraries and culture](#d-council~culture-leisure) £49.07 ** 3.0% of this part · £21.6m in 2024-25 · £91 per resident; similar councils £108 · up 0.3% on 2023-24 - [Housing (not council homes)](#d-council~housing) £46.68 ** 2.9% of this part · £20.5m in 2024-25 · £87 per resident; similar councils £47 · up 4.5% on 2023-24 Not council homes: [see the note](#d-council~housing). - [Running the council](#d-council~central) £23.87 ** 1.5% of this part · £10.5m in 2024-25 · £44 per resident; similar councils £86 · down 13.6% on 2023-24 Planning and development brought in £87k more than it cost; Other services brought in £4.1m more than it cost in 2024-25, so they take no share of your bill. **Which councils count as similar** Medians are across the 10 Scottish councils closest in population: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Renfrewshire, West Lothian, South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire, Falkirk, Perth & Kinross, Fife, Dundee City. Per-resident figures use ONS mid-year population estimates. - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Highland](#d-council) - Education ### Education £833.95 of your bill goes to education at Highland. Here is how its £366.6m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Secondary schools £313.12 ** 37.5% of this · £137.6m in 2024-25 · £580 per resident; similar councils £517 · up 3.6% on 2023-24 - Primary schools £291.64 ** 35.0% of this · £128.2m in 2024-25 · £540 per resident; similar councils £511 · up 4.5% on 2023-24 - Special schools and alternative provision £116.09 ** 13.9% of this · £51.0m in 2024-25 · £215 per resident; similar councils £160 · up 7.2% on 2023-24 - Early years and nursery £105.36 ** 12.6% of this · £46.3m in 2024-25 · £195 per resident; similar councils £197 · up 228.8% on 2023-24 - Community learning £7.74 ** 0.9% of this · £3.4m in 2024-25 · £14 per resident; similar councils £18 · down 9.1% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Highland](#d-council) - Adult social care ### Adult social care £358.69 of your bill goes to adult social care at Highland. Here is how its £157.7m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Adult social care run by the council directly £355.32 ** 99.1% of this · £156.2m in 2024-25 · £658 per resident; similar councils £19 · up 1.4% on 2023-24 - Other adult services £2.32 ** 0.6% of this · £1.0m in 2024-25 · £4.30 per resident; similar councils £4.74 · up 4.0% on 2023-24 - Criminal justice social work £1.05 ** 0.3% of this · £460k in 2024-25 · £1.94 per resident; similar councils £1.75 · up 8.7% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Highland](#d-council) - Roads and transport ### Roads and transport £97.64 of your bill goes to roads and transport at Highland. Here is how its £42.9m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Road and bridge maintenance £32.42 ** 33.2% of this · £14.9m in 2024-25 · £63 per resident; similar councils £21 · up 6.1% on 2023-24 - Winter service (gritting) £20.97 ** 21.5% of this · £9.6m in 2024-25 · £41 per resident; similar councils £12 · down 7.3% on 2023-24 - Support for bus, rail and other public transport £17.78 ** 18.2% of this · £8.2m in 2024-25 · £34 per resident; similar councils £17 · up 11.9% on 2023-24 - Street lighting (including energy) £13.18 ** 13.5% of this · £6.1m in 2024-25 · £26 per resident; similar councils £12 · up 28.7% on 2023-24 - Traffic management and road safety £9.64 ** 9.9% of this · £4.4m in 2024-25 · £19 per resident; similar councils £7.05 · up 1.7% on 2023-24 - Other transport (airports, harbours, tolls) £3.39 ** 3.5% of this · £1.6m in 2024-25 · £6.56 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · down 58.0% on 2023-24 - Concessionary bus fares £0.26 ** 0.3% of this · £119k in 2024-25 · £0.50 per resident; similar councils £0.36 · up 28.0% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Highland](#d-council) - Environment and regulation ### Environment and regulation £93.96 of your bill goes to environment and regulation at Highland. Here is how its £41.3m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Waste disposal £35.34 ** 37.6% of this · £15.5m in 2024-25 · £65 per resident; similar councils £50 · up 3.6% on 2023-24 - Waste collection £35.30 ** 37.6% of this · £15.5m in 2024-25 · £65 per resident; similar councils £40 · up 5.9% on 2023-24 - Environmental health, food safety, pest control and licensing £8.82 ** 9.4% of this · £3.9m in 2024-25 · £16 per resident; similar councils £11 · up 4.0% on 2023-24 - Other environmental services £7.04 ** 7.5% of this · £3.1m in 2024-25 · £13 per resident; similar councils £20 · up 7.9% on 2023-24 - Trading standards £3.99 ** 4.2% of this · £1.8m in 2024-25 · £7.39 per resident; similar councils £7.10 · down 4.1% on 2023-24 - Cemeteries and crematoria £1.29 ** 1.4% of this · £565k in 2024-25 · £2.38 per resident; similar councils £1.84 · down 21.1% on 2023-24 - Flood defence, land drainage and coast protection £0.05 ** under 0.1% of this · £24k in 2024-25 · £0.10 per resident; similar councils £1.73 · down 20.0% on 2023-24 - Not itemised in the return £2.12 ** 2.3% of this · £934k in 2024-25 · £3.94 per resident; similar councils £1.07 · up 16.6% on 2023-24 "Not itemised in the return" is the difference between the service total and the lines the return lists. - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Highland](#d-council) - Parks, leisure, libraries and culture ### Parks, leisure, libraries and culture £49.07 of your bill goes to parks, leisure, libraries and culture at Highland. Here is how its £21.6m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Sport and leisure £21.62 ** 44.1% of this · £9.5m in 2024-25 · £40 per resident; similar councils £41 · down 0.1% on 2023-24 - Libraries £12.30 ** 25.1% of this · £5.4m in 2024-25 · £23 per resident; similar councils £17 · up 12.4% on 2023-24 - Parks and open spaces (including play areas) £7.58 ** 15.4% of this · £3.3m in 2024-25 · £14 per resident; similar councils £32 · down 16.3% on 2023-24 - Museums, arts, heritage and archives £7.57 ** 15.4% of this · £3.3m in 2024-25 · £14 per resident; similar councils £16 · up 3.6% on 2023-24 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Highland](#d-council) - Housing (not council homes) ### Housing (not council homes) £46.68 of your bill goes to housing (not council homes) at Highland. Here is how its £20.5m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Other General Fund housing £28.09 ** 60.2% of this · £12.3m in 2024-25 · £52 per resident; similar councils £6.41 · up 2.1% on 2023-24 - Housing benefit administration and discretionary payments £7.99 ** 17.1% of this · £3.5m in 2024-25 · £15 per resident; similar councils £13 · up 12.6% on 2023-24 - Homelessness and temporary accommodation £4.27 ** 9.2% of this · £1.9m in 2024-25 · £7.92 per resident; similar councils £19 · up 14.6% on 2023-24 - Private sector housing renewal £2.80 ** 6.0% of this · £1.2m in 2024-25 · £5.18 per resident; similar councils £2.01 · down 12.9% on 2023-24 - Supporting People and welfare services £2.43 ** 5.2% of this · £1.1m in 2024-25 · £4.50 per resident; similar councils £8.92 · up 7.4% on 2023-24 - Not itemised in the return £1.10 ** 2.4% of this · £485k in 2024-25 · £2.04 per resident; similar councils £-1.87 · up 30.7% 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. Highland's Housing Revenue Account took in £68.5m and spent £39.2m in 2024-25. [What council tax does and doesn't pay for](/what-council-tax-pays-for/#ring-fence). "Not itemised in the return" is the difference between the service total and the lines the return lists. - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Highland](#d-council) - Running the council ### Running the council £23.87 of your bill goes to running the council at Highland. Here is how its £10.5m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Corporate and democratic core £10.65 ** 44.6% of this · £5.7m in 2024-25 · £24 per resident; similar councils £21 · down 12.5% on 2023-24 - Council tax and rates valuation £5.39 ** 22.6% of this · £2.9m in 2024-25 · £12 per resident; similar councils £7.33 · up 8.9% on 2023-24 - Non-distributed costs (past pensions, unused assets) £4.19 ** 17.6% of this · £2.2m in 2024-25 · £9.48 per resident; similar councils £9.42 · down 3.5% on 2023-24 - Other central services £2.07 ** 8.7% of this · £1.1m in 2024-25 · £4.68 per resident; similar councils £19 · down 40.4% on 2023-24 - Elections and electoral registration £1.34 ** 5.6% of this · £717k in 2024-25 · £3.02 per resident; similar councils £2.07 · up 24.0% on 2023-24 - Emergency planning £0.22 ** 0.9% of this · £120k in 2024-25 · £0.51 per resident; similar councils £0.53 · up 103.4% on 2023-24 ## Parks, street cleaning and roads here What Highland 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 | £3.3m | £14 | £32 | — | down 16.3% on 2023-24 | | Per resident£14Similar councils, per resident£32Per mile of road—Changedown 16.3% on 2023-24 | | | | | | | Road and bridge maintenanceDetails | £14.9m | £63 | £21 | £3,396 (similar: £3,551) | up 6.1% on 2023-24 | | Per resident£63Similar councils, per resident£21Per mile of road£3,396 (similar: £3,551)Changeup 6.1% on 2023-24 | | | | | | | Winter service (gritting)Details | £9.6m | £41 | £12 | £2,197 (similar: £2,532) | down 7.3% on 2023-24 | | Per resident£41Similar councils, per resident£12Per mile of road£2,197 (similar: £2,532)Changedown 7.3% on 2023-24 | | | | | | | Street lighting (including energy)Details | £6.1m | £26 | £12 | £1,381 (similar: £2,887) | up 28.7% on 2023-24 | | Per resident£26Similar councils, per resident£12Per mile of road£1,381 (similar: £2,887)Changeup 28.7% 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-council-tax-pays-for/#local-environment). ## What it adds up to | Service | Per resident | Median | | --- | --- | --- | | EducationDetails | £1,545 | £1,442 | | Median£1,442 | | | | Adult social careDetails | £665 | £707 | | Median£707 | | | | Children's social careDetails | £241 | £170 | | Median£170 | | | | Roads and transportDetails | £181 | £88 | | Median£88 | | | | Environment and regulationDetails | £174 | £135 | | Median£135 | | | | Parks, leisure, libraries and cultureDetails | £91 | £115 | | Median£115 | | | | Housing (not council homes)Details | £87 | £56 | | Median£56 | | | | Running the councilDetails | £44 | £89 | | Median£89 | | | | Planning and developmentDetails | £-0.37 | £35 | | Median£35 | | | | Other servicesDetails | £-17.18 | £-0.65 | | Median£-0.65 | | | - Highland spent **47.2%** 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 - Scottish Government, [Council Tax by Band](https://www.gov.scot/publications/council-tax-datasets/). Open Government Licence v3.0. - Scottish Government, [Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics](https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/statistics/2026/02/scottish-local-government-finance-statistics-2024-25/documents/la-level---net-revenue-expenditure-by-subservice/la-level---net-revenue-expenditure-by-subservice/govscot%3Adocument/Scottish%2BLocal%2BGovernment%2BFinance%2BStatistics%2B%2528SLGFS%2529%2B2024-25%2B-%2BLA%2BLevel%2B-%2BNet%2BRevenue%2BExpenditure%2Bby%2BSubservice%2B-%2B2026-01-09.xlsx), published 3 February 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 Highland](/council-tax/scotland/highland/) and [everything else about Highland](/your-area/highland/). ## Common questions What does council tax pay for in Highland? A Band D bill of £1,633.99 is split between Highland. In proportion to spending, the largest line is education, £833.95.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 Assumptions: Council Tax by Band](https://www.gov.scot/publications/council-tax-datasets/) | Scottish Government | the 2026–27 financial year | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | | [Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics](https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/statistics/2026/02/scottish-local-government-finance-statistics-2024-25/documents/la-level---net-revenue-expenditure-by-subservice/la-level---net-revenue-expenditure-by-subservice/govscot%3Adocument/Scottish%2BLocal%2BGovernment%2BFinance%2BStatistics%2B%2528SLGFS%2529%2B2024-25%2B-%2BLA%2BLevel%2B-%2BNet%2BRevenue%2BExpenditure%2Bby%2BSubservice%2B-%2B2026-01-09.xlsx) | Scottish Government | 3 February 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 Highland](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/parking/highland/) - [Back to Highland: your area](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/your-area/highland/) - [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.