Challenging your council tax band.

[PF62]

LC23 said:

I'm not sure I can revisit it as I have challenged it once already but perhaps it is time to have another look.

My understanding is that you can only formally challenge a banding within a short timescale of owning the property and if you disagree with their decision, you have the right to appeal their decision at tribunal, provided you do it within 3 months of the decision.

If you have owned the property for a while and are outside the timescale of a formal appeal, you can ask them to 'look at' the banding, but if you disagree with their decision you cannot appeal to a tribunal.

However my experience with the informal route was that that they said "no", but I carried on with the debate anyway until they said "yes". I understand that the VOA have a duty to maintain an 'accurate' register, and if you have the evidence to show it is wrong then to refuse to change it would not be acceptable.

[cold thursday]

"However my experience with the informal route was that that they said "no", but I carried on with the debate anyway until they said "yes". I understand that the VOA have a duty to maintain an 'accurate' register, and if you have the evidence to show it is wrong then to refuse to change it would not be acceptable."

Usefull information,thanks. I am in that zone now. They are wrong I need now to convince them of this. No right of appeal!! wtf is that about.

Edited by cold thursday on Thursday 15th January 00:09

[vrsmxtb]

SimonV8ster said:

The VOA will notify your local authority who will then reimbuse you accordingly.

Still no word for the LA. Worth a nudge, or is 1.5 months still early days in local government time!?

[Pit Pony]

On a slightly related point, I am now renting a one bed flat which I only use 4 nights a week, as I have work some 110 miles from my home. Despite filling in the forms they sent which clearly show there will be only one adult at the flat, I've just got my council tax bill through, and they have failed to take that into account.

In my humble opinion they do this on purpose, to get the "stupid" to pay extra. I know that I can get a 25% discount, because I did a little research. (I thought I might be able to get a second home discount, but it seems that loop hole was shut some years ago).

They have an online form. I'm going to send the bill back with a covering letter instead, as I haven't got the internet at the flat yet.

[Gio G]

This thread got me thinking. My property is currently in the F bracket, however seen properties which are larger than mine, within a 1/4 mile radius, with an extra bedroom and more space in the same bracket. Do you think there is a right to appeal?

So if this property is worth say £100k more than mine, does that effectively put it in the same bracket? I suspect you could scale that difference back to 1991.

Thanks G

[vrsmxtb]

Great news, council have calculated a £2400 backdated overpayment rebate to be transferred by the end of the month.

Highly recommend looking into this for those that may have a valid case.

[vrsmxtb]

Gio G said:

This thread got me thinking. My property is currently in the F bracket, however seen properties which are larger than mine, within a 1/4 mile radius, with an extra bedroom and more space in the same bracket. Do you think there is a right to appeal?

So if this property is worth say £100k more than mine, does that effectively put it in the same bracket? I suspect you could scale that difference back to 1991.

Thanks G

Go to the Money saving Expert link on the first page of the thread, it will talk you through step by step what you need to research to see if you have a strong case. Well worth an hour or so of your time, it does take a few months to process from start to finish though.