SMS - Text message notices
If your Council Tax or Business Rates account falls into arrears the Council may send a text message reminder before taking further recovery action. The Council may also contact you by text message in order to determine correct liability.
This service can prevent statutory recovery documents being issued and may help customers avoid paying expensive costs.
Whilst this service is offered to prevent customers falling further into arrears, it should not be relied upon and may not always be available. It is your responsibility to maintain the instalments due on your account in line with the demand notice issued and failure to do so will result in recovery action being taken.
The Council has adopted this service to help assess and collect outstanding tax. The Revenues Department will therefore not send marketing information, or pass your details onto 3rd party marketing companies.
However, this authority is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end may use the information you have provided for the prevention and detection of fraud. It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes.
Please see our data protection pages or call us on 01702 215001 should you require further information.
If you would like to update the Revenues team with a new phone number, or you would like to opt out of receiving text messages for Council Tax and Business Rates, please download and complete the opt out form. Completed forms should be emailed to CTAX@southend.gov.uk or businessrates@southend.gov.uk.