There has been a drop in Council Tax Collection Rates in Orkney for the period 2025 – 2026.
In new statistics published by Scotland’s Chief Statistician the collection rates for Orkney are as follows:
| 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024- 25 | 2025-26 |
| 95.5% | 96.5% | 96.0% | 91.5% |
Only Aberdeen City has a lower collection rate (91.0%). The average for Scotland is 95.2%
It should be noted that Figures for 2025-26 are provisional, however, the significant increase in Council Tax households in Orkney are being charged in a cost of living crisis is surely a contributing factor.
On Tuesday 10 March 2026 , Orkney Islands Councillors voted to increase council tax again, this time by 6%. A Band D property rises from £1,574.60 a year to £1,669.07. Scottish Water’s water and wastewater charges increased by 8.67% for 2026/27.
In 2025-26 for Scotland as a whole, the total amount of Council Tax billed was £3.389 billion. Of this total, £3.227 billion, or 95.2 per cent, was collected by 31 March 2026. This provisional in-year collection rate is slightly lower than the figure for the previous year (95.5 per cent).
These figures for Scotland are for what households have paid for Council Tax and do not include Water and Sewerage.
Below are the figures for each local authority for the Percentage of Council Tax received as at 31 March 2026.
| Local Authority | 2024-25 | 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 96.0 | 95.2 |
| Aberdeen City | 94.8 | 91.0 |
| Aberdeenshire | 97.1 | 96.2 |
| Angus | 97.2 | 96.8 |
| Argyll and Bute | 97.0 | 95.9 |
| City of Edinburgh | 96.3 | 96.1 |
| Clackmannanshire | 97.0 | 96.1 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 97.0 | 95.8 |
| Dundee City | 95.4 | 94.2 |
| East Ayrshire | 95.3 | 94.7 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 97.6 | 96.7 |
| East Lothian | 97.1 | 96.4 |
| East Renfrewshire | 97.7 | 97.7 |
| Falkirk | 97.2 | 96.2 |
| Fife | 95.9 | 95.0 |
| Glasgow City | 93.8 | 93.0 |
| Highland | 96.6 | 95.7 |
| Inverclyde | 95.1 | 94.6 |
| Midlothian | 95.2 | 92.3 |
| Moray | 96.8 | 96.4 |
| Na h-Eileanan Siar | 94.2 | 93.6 |
| North Ayrshire | 94.7 | 94.0 |
| North Lanarkshire | 95.4 | 94.5 |
| Orkney Islands | 92.7 | 91.5 |
| Perth and Kinross | 97.1 | 97.5 |
| Renfrewshire | 94.7 | 94.7 |
| Scottish Borders | 97.0 | 96.3 |
| Shetland Islands | 98.6 | 97.2 |
| South Ayrshire | 95.8 | 95.2 |
| South Lanarkshire | 97.1 | 96.6 |
| Stirling | 98.2 | 97.4 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 90.0 | 92.4 |
| West Lothian | 96.4 | 96.5 |
Local authorities are responsible for billing and collecting Council Tax. They set the level of Council Tax householders in their council area are charged.
To find out more information about discounts and exemptions click on this link: Council Tax.
Households that receive 100% Council Tax Reduction (CTR) due to their financial circumstances, and therefore do not pay any Council Tax, are still required to pay water and waste water charges for the services they have. – Scottish Water.
Fiona Grahame