Wales has fixed 1 April 2026 for the next step in its council tax overhaul. The Local Government Finance (Wales) Act 2024 (Commencement No. 1) Order 2026 activates the remaining parts of section 18 on discounts across all Welsh billing authorities. The Order was made on 22 January 2026 and signed by Mark Drakeford, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language. (legislation.gov.uk)

Section 18 is the bit that reshapes how discounts can be set in Wales. Instead of the old one‑size‑fits‑all approach baked into the 1992 Act, Welsh Ministers will be able to set discount amounts by regulation, define who is disregarded for council tax purposes, and let councils apply lower or zero discounts to specific classes of property set out in those regulations. (legislation.gov.uk)

It also tidies up how discounts interact with empty‑home and second‑home premiums. The Act repeals the former no‑resident discount in Wales and makes clear that any applicable discount is subtracted after a premium has been added for long‑term empty or periodically occupied dwellings. In short, the premium is applied first, then any discount. (legislation.gov.uk)

Ministers trail this as part of a wider programme to modernise local taxation. The Welsh Government’s own summary flags more flexibility over council tax bands and discounts, with property revaluations moving to a five‑year cycle later in the decade. That context matters for anyone budgeting beyond a single financial year. (gov.wales)

For readers in the North with ties to Wales-families split across Wrexham and Chester, or Manchester and Merseyside owners with a place on Anglesey-the practical point is simple: discount rules in Wales will be set by Welsh regulations from April, not by the older UK‑wide default. Expect your Welsh bills to reflect Welsh rules, even if your main home and council services are in England. (gov.wales)

Welsh Ministers consulted on a consolidated set of Council Tax regulations to cover discounts, disregards and exemptions, aiming to bring them into one clearer rulebook from 1 April 2026. That consultation signals how the new powers under section 18 will be used in practice and when households can expect the detail. (gov.wales)

The signature on the Order-Mark Drakeford MS-also underlines who is steering this piece of the programme. As Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language, his brief explicitly covers council tax reform and the Welsh Treasury. That’s where the forthcoming regulations will originate. (gov.wales)

Legally, some elements of section 18 were already switched on in September 2024, but only for limited regulation‑making purposes. The Order now brings the rest into force from 1 April 2026, completing the transition from the 1992 Act’s discount framework to a Welsh‑made system. (law.gov.wales)

What should Northern readers do now? If you own or let property in Wales, keep an eye out for the final regulations and the way your Welsh billing authority applies them for 2026–27 bills. English councils are not changing their discount rules because of this Order, but cross‑border households will notice differences either side of the Dee and along the A55 once the Welsh rules go live. (gov.wales)