1. Home: Explore careers
  2. Local government revenues officer

Local government revenues officer

Alternative titles for this job include Council tax officer, business rates officer, income and recovery officer

Revenues and benefits officers work for local councils and deal with housing benefits, rents, council tax and business rates.

Average salary (a year)

£17,500 Starter

to

£37,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

37 to 39 a week

You could work

between 8am and 6pm

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become Local government revenues officer

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • applying directly

University

You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in a subject like public administration or business administration, although it's not essential.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More Information

College

You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need in this job. Relevant subjects include a Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Business and Administration.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

More Information

Apprenticeship

You can get into this job through a revenue and welfare benefits practitioner higher apprenticeship.

This typically takes around 12 months to complete and is a mix of workplace learning and study.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

More Information

Work

You could start as an administrative assistant and work your way up with training on the job. For example, by taking courses offered by the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation.

Direct Application

You can apply directly for jobs. Employers will expect you to have:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English and maths
  • experience in customer service, especially in accounts and finance, or in local government

Some employers may ask you to sit assessment tests to check that you have the skills needed for the job.

Other Routes

If you are a graduate, you can apply for a place on the Local Government Association National Graduate Development Programme.

More Information

Further information

You can find out more about working and training in local government finance through the Local Government Association.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • administration skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with others
  • the ability to work on your own
  • business management skills
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • customer service skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

In your day-to-day tasks you could:

  • calculate rents, council tax and business rates
  • send out bills and reminders
  • collect and process payments
  • recover rent and council tax arrears
  • arrange legal action against debtors
  • get money back from customers who have been overpaid
  • attend court

Working environment

You could work in an office.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

With experience and qualifications you could progress into senior roles, including fraud investigations, property valuation or management.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

Customer Services Apprentice (Revenues & Benefits)

  • Wage: £21,624 a year Annually
  • Location: West Paddock, Leyland
Find apprenticeships near you

Courses In England

L4 Diploma in Business Administration

  • Provider: WEST THAMES COLLEGE
  • Start date: 22 September 2025
  • Location: Isleworth

Business Administration BTEC Diploma

  • Provider: SOLIHULL COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY CENTRE
  • Start date: 01 September 2025
  • Location: Solihull
Find courses near you

Jobs In the United Kingdom

The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.

Search further careers

Related careers

Skills assessment

Take an assessment to learn more about your skills and the careers that might suit you.

Speak to an adviser

You can call 0800 100 900 or use webchat to speak to an adviser.

We're open:

  • 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday
  • 10am to 5pm Saturdays and bank holidays

We're closed on Sundays, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Is this page useful?

Yes No

Thank you for your feedback.

Thank you for your feedback. Click here if you'd like to let us know how we can improve the service.