Thanet council has launched an online tool which means residents and businesses can view their Council Tax and Business Rates accounts, housing benefit claims, payment history, notification letters and much more all in one place.
Open Portal has gone live today on Thanet District Council’s website
To register for an account, go to thanet.gov.uk/openportal where you will be prompted to enter your council tax account number. This number can be found at the top of your recent council tax bill.
Cllr David Saunders, Cabinet Member for Finance at Thanet District Council said: “As a council, we are focused on improving services for local residents and businesses through the use of technology. As part of this commitment, we are delighted to announce that people can now manage their council tax and business rate accounts online.
“Open Portal enables you to view up-to-date account information, check your balance, review payments, apply for a single person’s discount, update contact details, report a change of address, switch to paperless billing and set up a direct debit. To get started, you will need to enter your council tax number to register for an account.”
Once you have an account, you can also change the way you pay by moving to Direct Debit.
If you already pay by Direct Debit, signing up for this online service enables you to update your bank details or change your payment dates. You can also choose to receive your bills by email.
For those struggling to pay council tax, you may be entitled to council tax support or a discount. For more information go to thanet.gov.uk/council-tax-discounts-and-exemptions
For information on business rate relief, go to thanet.gov.uk/business-rate-relief
Well, this certainly will improve things for TDC. They can now sack even more staff.
When will KCC do the same?
Some long overdue progress. Well done those involved and I hope we’re not paying a fortune for this, as its pretty basic stuff. Could this login please soon apply to all services, so that address details, such as when reporting missed bin collections, do not have to be repeated?
What would TDC do without IoTN to keep us informed 😉
You can create an account for reporting missed bin collections – https://www.thanet.gov.uk/services/waste-and-recycling/
About time!
Can I access my Council Tax information and also my waste & recycling information using the same log in and account ?
If not, you really have to question why TDC have decided to launch two completely separate accounts so close to each other ?
Thanetian Blind, I think you’re right. These logins are different! TDC, I take back my praise. Why can you not get anything right? TDC execs, this is so fundamentally wrong and costly, you really have no idea do you!!
Unfortunately there are gdpr implications to sharing data across separate systems.
Not talking about sharing data. I’m talking about setting up one account with TDC where I choose to access information about my waste & recycling collections and can also access information about my Council Tax with the same log in.
No GDPR issues at all.
The fact that TDC are now expecting you to sign up to two completely separate systems is just a huge, but not surprising, lack of joined up thinking at TDC.
If only it was that simple. They are 2 separate service areas using 2 different systems with data stored separately. The option has been extensively explored and it would be the obvious and perfect solution. Unfortunately at this moment in time it just isn’t possible. It is the preferred option and of course the second it can be implemented it would be.
“If only it were that simple”
Er, it is. That’s why many other Councils offer exactly what I was suggesting all from one account. A quick Google will prove the point.
Hi Josie, I’m not surprised TDC pay their IT suppliers millions of our £s, if each service area has its own different systems! Even with that evident mess, there should be one resident / tax payer authentication system, that is then able to interface via the relevant API to every subsystem, all complying with GDPR.
What about council rents? Can i see that?
That will probably be another system they publicise next week with another different log in and account needed.
You should only need to sign into one council account to see and do whatever is needed. Join it all up TDC. You act like you don’t know what you are doing, and if you don’t then resign and let someone take over who does.