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

lincroft1710

Dewpoint - CT law lays down strict time limits for making appeals. If a taxpayer makes an appeal within time limits and VOA says band correct then taxpayer has right to have appeal heard by Valuation Tribunal (an independent body). As you could not make such an appeal, then you cannot have matter determined by VT. So they are not being autocratic, just stating facts.

I am not sure from your post whether the neighbouring houses are the same as yours or yours has been extended. If you could explain situation, might be able to help further.

You can write to VOA's Customer Service Manager or your MP (who would write to VOA on your behalf), but as Airwolf says first point out to VOA what information you believe is inaccurate.

Dewpoint

Hi - thanks for the replies.
I don't want to bore you with too many details. I read Martin's article on challenging CT banding and applied for a review, got turned down, provided more convincing evidence but was still rejected a second time.
That has happened over the past month.

In Martin's article he says:
What to do if that doesn't work
If you challenged your banding and your enquiry was rejected, there are some grounds for appeal.

None of these grounds apply to me.

My beef is with the VOA and the assertions they used to arrive at their conclusion which I know to be incorrect and yet they refuse to acknowledge.

In other posts, people have mentioned Tribunals - does anyone know if these, or any other avenues are available to me to get a more independent assessment / review?

Remember - the VOA belongs to HMRC!

thanks

lincroft1710

Dewpoint - firstly you wouldn't be boring us, if you believe VOA have made error, tell us what it is, or if you don't want to post on open forum, PM me (I'm ex VOA and always tried to be fair to taxpayers and passionately believe VOA should treat all taxpayers fairly, honestly equally and courteously).

Secondly, as you were unable to make a valid appeal there is no recourse to a Valuation Tribunal hearing.

Airwolf1

Dewpoint - in the first instance, I would write to the VOA's Customer Care Manager with full details. Advise what the VOA may have done wrong, and also provide him/her with correct information.

At the end of the day it will cost a stamp and is really your next course of action by the sounds of it, unless you get your MP involved.

vivatifosi

Hi Dewpoint,

If the above fails, you could also wait until someone moves into a house the same as yours and persuade them to make an appeal. If they do so within six months of moving in then they will have a right to a tribunal - so share your evidence with them. If they then win, your right to a tribunal will be unlocked and you will have a six month window from the time of tribunal win. I've used this where I live to good affect, though it can involve a waiting game.

Dewpoint

Hi - thanks again for the replies.

It looks like I can use the independent Valuation Tribunal (if all else fails).
i.e. on their website - "http://www.valuation-tribunals.gov.uk/Newsflashes/CT_Banding_Appeals.html"
it says:
"A person who has challenged their council tax banding, and received a VOA Listing Officer’s Decision, may appeal direct to the independent valuation tribunal if he/she does not agree with that decision."

Anyway - thanks for the help.

Zebedeee

Dewpoint, have you looked at the VTS decisions for your area? If you can find a favourable decision on a property that you feel to be comparable to your case then they have to grant you a tribunal. It must be within the last 6 months, so if you can't find one look at the upcoming tribunals for your area - there may be a comparable property/situation there. That is how I got a tribunal despite being turned down the first few times by the VOA. Failing that, do as vivatifosi suggests and look out for new homeowners.

lincroft1710

Dewpoint - you have misread the VTS website, you have to have made a valid appeal against your CT band before the VT can be involved in determining the band, it explains this further in the Newsflash.

Both vivatifosi and Zebedeee make good points, but it could be some time before either occurs.

jadelois

Just wondering if anyone has any advice for me. Done my bit of investigating and found that the property cost would have been £69,000 in 1991 (although potentially it might have been less, gonna try to check this more carefully), we are in band D at the moment but the house literally next door is in band C and a house on the opposite side of the road a few doors down is band B? Others on our road tend to be the same as us. Therefore is it worth asking them to re-evaluate (our house band shouldn't go up cause if anything we were the lower border of the band) or are they just likely to put our neighbours band up and if so will we be stated as the reason for that?
Many thanks for any help.

lincroft1710

jadelois - it is certainly worth a try. Where a property is just into higher band than neighbours there may be several reasons.

1) It or neighbour may be in incorrect band.
2) It may have some features which neighbour doesn't e.g. garage, conservatory.
3) Neighbour may have appealed and had band reduced.

If neighbour's band is incorrect and VOA decide to increase band they usually say that following a review of the bands in the area some errors have been found.

Remember, just say your neighbour is in Band C, you are in Band D, would they please check your band.