Council tax privacy notice
Read this alongside the Trafford Council privacy notice for information that applies to all services.
This page explains how we collect and use personal information in the administration of council tax.
What information we collect
We may collect:
- Name, address and contact details
- Date of birth and National Insurance number
- Property and occupancy details
- Financial information, including bank account details for payments or refunds
- Records of payments made and amounts owed
- Evidence to support discounts, exemptions or benefits
- Information about household members and their circumstances
- Some of this may include special category data, such as:
- Health information, if relevant to a discount or exemption
- Information about vulnerability, if needed to support recovery arrangements
Why we collect your information
We use your information to:
- Bill and collect council tax
- Identify who is liable for council tax at a property
- Process discounts, exemptions and benefits
- Recover unpaid amounts
- Prevent and detect fraud
- Carry out statistical analysis and reporting
- Meet our legal duties under the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and related legislation
Our lawful basis
The main legal bases we use are:
- Public task – to carry out our duties under council tax law
- Legal obligation – to comply with statutory requirements for tax administration
For special category data, we rely on:
- Substantial public interest – under UK GDPR Article 9(2)(g) and Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 2018, for the purpose of preventing or detecting unlawful acts and protecting the public
Who we share your information with
We may share your information with:
- Other council departments, such as benefits, housing and electoral services
- Government bodies such as the Department for Work and Pensions and HM Revenue & Customs
- Enforcement agents for debt recovery purposes
- Credit reference agencies for fraud prevention and debt recovery
- The police or other law enforcement agencies where necessary
- Other local authorities, if relevant to your liability
We may also share information with the National Fraud Initiative for the prevention and detection of fraud.
How long we keep your information
Council tax records are kept for six years after the account is closed.
Some records may be kept longer if required for ongoing recovery action or legal proceedings.
Automated decision‑making
Council tax does not make decisions about you based solely on automated processing.
Contact us
If you have questions about how we use your information for council tax, see the contact us section in the primary privacy notice.