Skip to main contentAccessibility Statement
  1. Home
  2. Your council
  3. Service privacy notices

Council tax and non-domestic rates privacy notice

1. Council contact details

1.1. West Northamptonshire Council

Registered Office:
One Angel Square
Angel Street
Northampton, NN1 1ED

Contact centre telephone: 0300 126 7000

The Data Controller is West Northamptonshire Council

ICO registration number: ZA896620

The relevant teams can be contacted by email at:

1.2. This privacy notice sets out the information for the Council’s Revenues Service which covers:

  • Billing, collection and recovery of Council Tax
  • Billing, collection and recovery of Non-Domestic Rates

The Council Tax and Non-Domestic Rates service handles the billing, collection, and recovery of council tax and business rates (non-domestic rates). To perform these functions, the council needs to collect and process personal data such as names, contact details, and financial information. 

This data is necessary to ensure accurate billing, manage payments, and take appropriate action in cases of non-payment. Personal data is processed in line with legal obligations and to carry out public functions effectively.

2. Information that we hold

2.1. Information about the types of data we collect to deliver this service

The personal and special category data we collect varies according to the purpose of the contact. Applications for our services are not restricted to people living or working in Northamptonshire. Anyone is entitled to contact the Council about our service. 

The information we hold may include:

  • Name of liable parties
  • Address (hereditament and mailing if different)
  • Household information to establish how many adults live in the property
  • Contact details, e.g. email address, telephone number
  • Medical or health information to apply discounts and reliefs
  • Bank details for direct debit payments
  • IP address if you contact us using online forms

We may also collect and process the following categories of information if recovery action is necessary:

  • Financial information, e.g. income and expenditure including benefit information
  • Property ownership
  • Landlord information
  • Employment details

3. How and why your information is collected and used

3.1. How we collect this personal information

Most of the personal information we process is provided to us directly by you in the following ways:

  • Face to Face
  • Reports
  • Application form
  • Telephone
  • Email or in writing

We also receive personal information indirectly, from the following sources in the following scenarios:

  • A landlord – due to a change in tenancy
  • A lettings agent – due to a change in tenancy
  • A council inspector or another team such as Housing, Benefits or Planning – due to a change in tenancy or occupancy
  • Credit Reference Agencies such as Experian – for address validation/tracing services and data enrichment i.e., updating telephone numbers and email addresses

3.2. Why we collect your information

There are a number of reasons why we need to collect and use your personal information.

Much of what we do in Council Tax and Non-Domestic Rates is governed by legislation, set nationally, which requires us to provide various services across West Northamptonshire. 

We process personal data to deliver public tasks outlined in the follow pieces of legislation:

  • The Local Government Finance Act 1992
  • Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992
  • Council Tax Support Reduction Scheme

Processing of special category data, such as medical or health information, is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest and is proportionate to the aim pursued.

The information we collect, and store is also used to provide an auditable record of service delivery and enables us to contact people initiating reports/issues to request further information or provide updates.

Whenever we collect information, we always limit this to only the details that are needed. We ensure that data is used and stored safely and securely. We require anyone we share information with, or who uses it on our behalf, to do so too. 

All Council Tax and Non-Domestic Rates staff have received training on data protection and information security.

3.3 Lawful processing

We rely on the following lawful reasons to process your person data.

UK GDPR Article 6 (Personal Data)

1(a) Explicit consent has been provided by the data subject.

1(d) Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation.

UK GDPR Article 9 (Special Category Data)

2(g) Processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interests based on domestic law.

4. What we do with the information

4.1 How we use your personal information

The information will only be used for the purposes stated when it was collected.

Information will not be sold, rented or provided to anyone else, or used for any other purpose than that for which it was originally collected, including public task, unless required to by law. 

We use the information that you have provided to us or we have obtained in order to:

  • Decide who should pay Council Tax or Non-Domestic Rates
  • Administer and collect Council Tax or Non-Domestic Rates
  • Administer and collect outstanding funds or debts owed to the Council
  • Consider discounts, reliefs or exemptions
  • Carry out enforcement action where necessary
  • Complete and send reports to Central Government
  • Identify vulnerable low-income groups and individuals
  • Prevent and detect crime
  • Protect public funds
  • Update the Electoral Register

4.2. Who we share your information with

In order to deliver our service effectively, to undertake our statutory and non-statutory duties as a Local Authority, and for us to deliver associated projects or programmes, it is often necessary for us to share information across the council, with:

  • Staff in our Council Tax Team and any other staff needing access to carry out their function e.g. Customer Services
  • Services within the Council where there is a legal gateway (lawful purpose) to share data with them
  • Enforcement Agents (recovery)
  • Other Councils where the law permits
  • National Audit Office
  • Credit Reference Agencies
  • HM Revenues and Custom
  • Cabinet Office re: National Fraud Initiative
  • Her Majesty’s Court Service
  • Office for National Statistics (ONS)
  • Elected Members, Members of Parliament or advice agencies when acting on your behalf
  • Other authorities or agencies with investigative powers eg. Police, Home Office and Border Force
  • Valuation Office Agency (VOA)
  • Financial inclusion and money advice organisations
  • Other organisations that carry out services for the Council

When we publish information in public, we will follow procedures that we have in place to remove personal data associated with the record wherever possible.

We will share personal information with law enforcement agencies or other authorities only if required by applicable law and in accordance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

4.3 Automated Decision making

We do not use automated decision making for this processing.

4.4 Data Profiling

There is no profiling undertaken in relation to this processing. 

5. How long we keep your information for and how we securely dispose of it after use

5.1. Information about how your personal data is kept

We only keep information for as long as it is needed in line with the council’s retention schedule. This will differ according to the type of information we hold and its purpose. It will be based on either a legal requirement (where a law says we have to keep information for a specific period of time), a regulatory requirement or accepted business practice. 

5.2 We will securely dispose of your information in line with the Council's Retention Schedules.

6. How we store your information

6.1. Physical (paper) records

Wherever possible the Council processes data electronically. Where it is provided in paper form, such as physical post, it is scanned and further processed digitally. Physical copies are then confidentially destroyed.

6.2 Electronic information

Digital data is securely stored on the council’s computer network or on cloud severs in the UK, EEA and in countries with adequacy or that have a regulator approved Privacy Framework (such as the USA).

7. Your data protection rights

7.1. The law gives you a number of rights to control what personal information is used by us and how we can use it. Please see section 15 of the council’s Privacy Policy for further information.

7.2. Please be aware that your rights may differ depending on the lawful basis for processing your personal data.

8. Who to contact

8.1. If you would like further information about how we use your personal information, or you wish to exercise one of your data rights or you wish to complain about the use of your personal information please contact the Data Protection Officer.

8.2. If you are still dissatisfied with how we have used your data once you have made a complaint through the council’s internal complaints procedure you have the right to complain to the ICO.

The ICO’s address:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

9. Changes to this Service Privacy Notice

9.1 Privacy notices are live documents and will be updated or revised periodically in line with service changes and / or new legislation requirements.

This privacy notice was last updated October 2024.

The update reference number is: PNS/24/022/A.

Last updated 31 October 2024