At this time of year we receive a high volume of Council Tax queries. Around 70,000 customers are expected to contact us over the coming months to ask us to review their Council Tax band.
With this in mind it is important to understand under what circumstances querying your banding is worthwhile.
Making a challenge: a summary of guidance
If you’re thinking about challenging your Council Tax band because you think it’s too high there are a few things to consider, in order to make sure you don’t spend time on a challenge that won’t be successful.
Legally, we can only review your Council Tax band if you provide certain types of evidence to show your banding is wrong, or if it meets certain criteria. This evidence might include the addresses of similar properties to yours that are in a different band, or evidence of house prices which similar properties to yours have sold at.
You can read more about the evidence needed. We cannot undertake such a review without any supporting evidence being submitted.
Separate from this, there are certain other specific circumstances in which we will undertake a formal review of your band:
- your property has changed – for example, it’s been demolished, split into multiple properties or multiple properties merged into one
- your property’s use has changed – for example, part of your property is now used for business
- your local area has changed – for example, a new supermarket has been built and has impacted the value of your property
- you’ve been paying Council Tax on your property for less than six months
You should also note that your Council Tax band as well as that of your neighbours could increase as the result of a review, as opposed to decreasing.
How bands are assessed
You may be wondering why your property is in a certain band, please read about what factors go into a banding – it is not just the location of a property, but also the size and characteristics of the building that can affect banding, which could explain why a neighbouring property is in a different band.
The Chancellor announced on Thursday 3 February that households in England which are in Council Tax bands A-D will receive a £150 rebate, made directly by local authorities from April. You can read more on the announcement.
Please be aware that the Valuation Office Agency is not part of the local authority and is only responsible for banding properties and entering them in the Council Tax list.
If you are unsure what Council Tax band your home currently sits in, you can check our page.
If you still need help with any of the above, you can contact us to discuss your Council Tax band or any other issues we may be able to assist you with.
Should you have questions around billing or rebates, please contact your local authority.