How to challenge your council tax band as 400,000 homes are in the wrong band

Up to 400,000 homes in England and Scotland are in the wrong council tax band according to Money Saving Expert.

However, before challenging a council tax band, it’s crucial to be aware that the review could lead to a property being put in a higher band.

Council tax bands are based on how much a property was worth on a certain date, with this being April 1, 1991 for England and Scotland, and April 1, 2003, for Wales.

Residents can propose a new council tax band if there has been a change affecting the property.

• The property has changed – for example, it’s been demolished, merged into one property or split into multiple properties
• The property’s use has changed – such as part of the property is now used for business
• The local area has physically changed – eg a new supermarket was built.

It’s also possible to challenge a council tax band even if there haven’t been any recent changes to the property, but the resident thinks the band is wrong.

The challenger will need to provide “supporting evidence” demonstrating why they think this.

This evidence could include details about other properties that are similar to the one in question but are in lower council tax bands.

If a person is proposing a new band, they must provide one of the following:

• A description of any changes to the property
• Details of the property’s change of use
• A description of how the local area has changed physically
• Details of any physical works to the property

Those who think their band is wrong will need to submit the addresses of up to five similar properties which are in a lower band.

• Type, such as if it’s a terraced house, they should all be terraced
• Size, e.g. number of bedrooms and total area
• Age
• Style and design

The properties, if in a town or city, also need to be in the same street or estate, or for those in the countryside, it must be in the same village.

The house price that the property or similar properties sold for can also be used as evidence, if the sales were between:

• April 1, 1989 and March 31, 1993 in England
• April 1, 2001 and March 31, 2005 in Wales

Those challenging a council tax band should compare the sale prices to the prices the properties are valued at for council tax. This list is available on the government website.

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How to challenge a council tax band

For properties in England and Wales, the challenge must be submitted to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA).

In Scotland, the challenge must be submitted to an assessor based in the local Valuation Joint Board or council.

People with properties in England and Wales can challenge, or appoint someone else to challenge, their council tax band online.

It’s also possible to call or email the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to challenge the council tax band.

Whichever way a person submits the challenge, they will need to provide the supporting evidence when they make contact.

For properties in Scotland, the mygov.scot website states a person can “challenge your council tax band on the Scottish Assessors website if you think it's wrong”.

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) typically lets people know they’ve received the challenge within a few days, but it can take up to 28 days if they need to check there’s enough evidence to review the challenge. It can then take up to two months to review the challenge.

Afterwards, they will either explain why the band cannot be changed or change the council tax band.
If the latter happens, a person’s local council will revise the bill and adjust payments.

It’s possible to appeal the decision in some cases, but not all, and those who can need to do so within three months of getting the decision – unless the time limit is extended.