Council Tax band: how to challenge your rate
New figures show over 10,000 households have succeeded in lowering their Council Tax band and therefore their Council Tax bills in England and Wales.
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) said it resolved 42,250 challenges between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017.
Of these, 30 households saw an increase in their Council Tax band, 10,670 saw a reduction and 31,550 saw no change.
Why your Council Tax band may be wrong
The amount of Council Tax you pay in England, Wales and Scotland, is based on the value of your property and the band this puts you in.
Band A properties have the cheapest bills while Band H properties (or Band I in Wales) pay the most to their local council.
The problem is these valuation bands are completely out of date.
In England and Scotland, the bands are based on property valuations made in April 1991 while in Wales they’re based on valuations from April 2003.
Northern Ireland still uses the old system of rates based on rental values, which was replaced across the rest of the UK in 1993. But this is just as bad as they are based on January 2005 prices.
But lots of things might have happened since 1993,2003 or 2005 that may have impacted the value of your property like renovations or changes to the surrounding area that means you should be in a different band.
If you think your Council Tax band is wrong it’s worth getting it reviewed.
How to challenge your Council Tax band in England and Wales
If your property is in England or Wales you can do this through online via the Direct Gov website provided by the VOA.
You just need to find your property’s Council Tax band on the valuation list using your post code and then select your property from the results.
Once you’ve selected the property you can click on the link asking ‘Do you think this Council Tax band is wrong?’.
From here you will need to choose the ‘Check if you can formally challenge your Council Tax band’ option.
This will bring up a series of questions that relate to why you think your bill is wrong, which you must answer and submit.
Once you have completed the form you will be told if you can make a challenge. If you can you will be given the option to do this online by using the ‘Make a formal challenge to your Council Tax band’ option.
You can also challenge your Council Tax band by post. You just need to download and fill out a form (there are different ones for England and Wales) and send it to the Listing Officer at your regional VOA office.
If you find you are not eligible to make a challenge you can still contact the VOA to ask for an informal review.
You just need to explain why you think the band is wrong and provide some evidence. You can call the VOA on 03000 501 501 in England or 03000 505 505 in Wales.
You’ll normally receive a decision from the VOA within two months. It might change your Council Tax band which will mean your bill will be revised or tell you why your band hasn’t changed.
How to challenge your Council Tax band in Scotland
If your property is in Scotland, you will need to use the Scottish Assessors website to challenge your Council Tax band.
Again, you just need to locate your property using your post code and select it from the list of results.
Once you’ve found your property you should click on ‘Make a proposal’.
This will take you to an explanation of the process, which if you are happy with gives you the option to complete the proposal form.
A local Accessor will consider your application once you have submitted it.
How to challenge domestic property rate valuations in Northern Ireland
If your property is in Northern Ireland you can apply online to have a property revaluation after alterations to your home on the Department of Finance website.
Alternatively, you can use the CR3 form and apply by post.
The Land & Property Services – valuation regional offices will make a decision about your request and send you a Certificate of Valuation showing the capital valuation.
Is it worth doing?
Getting your Council Tax or Domestic Rate valuation reviewed could help you lower your bill, but bear in mind that it could rise too.
If you think the decision made about your property is wrong you can challenge it.
In England, you can make a formal challenge to the Valuation Tribunal or if you’re in Wales you can send it to the Welsh Tribunal.
In Scotland, you will need to appeal through the local Valuation Appeal Committee for your area.
In Northern Ireland, you can appeal to the Commission of Valuation within 28 days of a decision using the CR20 form and if you aren’t satisfied with its response, take your complaint to the Northern Ireland Valuation Tribunal.
Other ways to cut your Council Tax bill
For other tips on paying less Council Tax, check out our guide How to slash your Council Tax bill.