Council Tax Cost Cutting: reduce your band and grab any discounts Discussion Area

jamesiebabie

Zebedeee wrote:

I'm a bit mystified as to how everyone is getting their refunds and rebanding (but good luck to all who do!). We have had our proposal for a rebanding thrown out purely on the basis that we are outside the 6 month time limit. The fact that we seem to be incorrectly banded doesn't even come into it. We have been offered a tribunal, but that is only to dispute the fact that we are outside of the 6 months, a fact we cannot deny. Also, we cannot say that the area has changed substantially since the original valuation. It was just wrong in the first instance.

Any ideas where we go now, anyone?

Zebedee,

This is a common occurance with people being 'timed out'. But the VOA still has a duty to maintain a fair and accurate council tax list as per their council tax charter. I would write a letter to the Listing Officer direct [find out their name] and write down again why you know the banding is wrong. At this stage there is no harm in copying in your MP, as this will ensure a quick and accurate response, because if they are seen to get it wrong at this point, there nmaybe some political comeback in the future.

The VOA are aware that there are many inaccuracies, but are unwilling at this moment in time to tackle the problem. One of the things that the recently 'postponed' revaluation highlighted are the number of inaccuracies in the current council tax list.

Maybe there should be some 'Freedom of Information' enquiries going in to find out what info, they do have!

Good Luck Zebedee. Keep me informed.

J

WRabbit

Just a reminder to everyone that the bands quoted in the article are not relevant to Scotland. The council tax bands in Scotland can be seen at http://www.saa.gov.uk/ctbands.html

It's quite important as a lot of Scottish houses in 1991 would be in Band A in England, but are actually Band C in Scotland.

Council Tax Valuation Bands in Scotland

A Up to £27,000
B Over £27,000 and up to £35,000
C Over £35,000 and up to £45,000
D Over £45,000 and up to £58,000
E Over £58,000 and up to £80,000
F Over £80,000 and up to £106,000
G Over £106,000 and up to £212,000
H Over £212,000

PandoraWild

I've just bought a house which I'm going to do some work on, such as developing a current sitting room into a kitchen. I was under the impression that whilst i was doing the work I'd be exempt from Council Tax but I just received a letter stating that I'm only eligible for a 50% discount as the property has been empty for six months or more.

When I went into the Council to enquire, the council woman seemed like she didn't have a clue, and started looking through the rules, not really understanding them! A mate of mine said this is a load of rubbish, as he had 12 months exemption during renovation.

I can't get through to the helpline as it's continuously engaged.

Can anyone enlighten me please

Any advice would be massively appreciated.......

CIS

I've just bought a house which I'm going to do some work on, such as developing a current sitting room into a kitchen. I was under the impression that whilst i was doing the work I'd be exempt from Council Tax but I just received a letter stating that I'm only eligible for a 50% discount as the property has been empty for six months or more.

You only get a Class A exemption if the property is uninhabitable - just converting a room may not meet this criteria, your best bet is to ask for an inspector to be sent out to make the decision.

prudryden

PandoraWild wrote:

I've just bought a house which I'm going to do some work on, such as developing a current sitting room into a kitchen. I was under the impression that whilst i was doing the work I'd be exempt from Council Tax but I just received a letter stating that I'm only eligible for a 50% discount as the property has been empty for six months or more.

When I went into the Council to enquire, the council woman seemed like she didn't have a clue, and started looking through the rules, not really understanding them! A mate of mine said this is a load of rubbish, as he had 12 months exemption during renovation.

I can't get through to the helpline as it's continuously engaged.

Can anyone enlighten me please

Any advice would be massively appreciated.......

You can get 6 months if vacant and unfurnished. But the council may say that tax is on the property, not on the individual. They may use the fact that it had an exemption before you acquired it as a reason to now charge. (The councils need money, that is why they have put in parking restrictions on every street, whether it was needed or not.)
As stated by previous poster, to get Class A, the inspector who came to my
property said he would have to see the sky through the roof. Then he gave me a tip to take out the kitchen sink and he would give me the exemption. That was several years ago though. I think things have tighted up considerably since then.
In 2002, you could apply for a Class G exemption if the property was declared unfit for habitation or prevented by law. They have now deleted the unfit part of that statement. That was about the time they found out that there were over 700,000 empty properties in the country and too many homeless. So there we go.

CIS

You can get 6 months if vacant and unfurnished. But the council may say that tax is on the property, not on the individual. They may use the fact that it had an exemption before you acquired it as a reason to now charge. (The councils need money, that is why they have put in parking restrictions on every street, whether it was needed or not.)
As stated by previous poster, to get Class A, the inspector who came to my
property said he would have to see the sky through the roof. Then he gave me a tip to take out the kitchen sink and he would give me the exemption. That was several years ago though. I think things have tighted up considerably since then.
In 2002, you could apply for a Class G exemption if the property was declared unfit for habitation or prevented by law. They have now deleted the unfit part of that statement. That was about the time they found out that there were over 700,000 empty properties in the country and too many homeless. So there we go.

Theirs no 'may say' about it, Class C exemptions are always on the property not the person, so if its already been given in its entirety and their hasn't been a 6 week gap of occupation, you cant have another class C - only the balance of the previous Class C.

Class G exemptions still exist as properties declared uninhabitable by law - i.e unfit for human habitation, but it is also being expanded to cover uninhabitable by planning restriction from 01 April 07.

PandoraWild

thanks for the advice

camelopardis

Woohoo!!! This site is excellent! I followed all the instructions and have just had a letter from VOA saying they are reducing our band from E to D. Now waiting for backdated cheque from council which should be in region of £3000 from 1993.

What with the £3500 we got back for endowment misselling, browsing this site has been my best "investment" for the past year!

Maisie

camelopardis wrote:

Woohoo!!! This site is excellent! I followed all the instructions and have just had a letter from VOA saying they are reducing our band from E to D. Now waiting for backdated cheque from council which should be in region of £3000 from 1993.

What with the £3500 we got back for endowment misselling, browsing this site has been my best "investment" for the past year!

Wow! That's a great refund.

Glad my original post on the closed thread helped get your rebanding and rebate.

Have you posted on Martin's 'Success stories' thread?

keep on appealing MSEs at https://www.voa.gov.uk Many have and got big rebates and rebanding.

Good luck. maisie:

Optimist

There is a petition seems to have just started for fairer council tax

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/FAIRCOUNCILTAX/