When we can process personal data without consent

The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)

For an organisation to be able to collect and process someone’s personal data, there must be a lawful basis or bases which permits this. The UK GDPR lists six lawful bases:

1. Consent – clear consent has been given for personal data to be processed for a specific purpose;
2. Contract – processing is necessary for a contact you have entered into;
3. Legal obligation – processing is necessary for the organisation to comply with the law;
4. Vital interests – processing is necessary to protect someone’s life;
5. Public task – processing is necessary for the organisation to perform a task in the public interest or for official functions and the task or function has a clear basis in law;
6. Legitimate interests – processing is necessary for the organisation’s legitimate interests unless there is a good reason to protect the data subject’s personal data which overrides those legitimate interests.   

Our Council Tax Privacy Notice confirms the lawful bases are:

• Legal obligation and
• Public task

This means we do not need consent in order to process personal data in order to collect Council Tax monies.

UK legislation

UK law also gives authorities the legal right to demand payment of Council Tax. These are:

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

Our website has more information about Council Tax, including subjects on:

• How to pay your Council Tax
• Charges
• How to get help to pay your Council Tax
• Discounts and exemptions

You can read more about Council Tax at Citizens Advice on its Citizens Advice Council Tax page

Please remember, we are legally obliged to collect Council Tax unless an exemption or discount applies.