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

lincroft1710

Angel - converting garage to business could reduce CT band as garage may now be subject to business rates. The VOA may be unaware of extension to the house sold in 04 and 07.

lincroft1710

Milly - the house price indices are inaccurate. In the area I worked (I'm exVOA) we found that many 1 bed houses which were over £40K in 91 had dropped below £30K by 95. Older 2 bed houses had dropped by slightly less, but a price of £33K in late 95 would suggest £40K plus in 91.

It is not unusual to have 2 and 3 bed houses in same band.

I think you would need something a bit more convincing to persuade VOA to reduce your band. If the road was built pre 91 there is a good chance there will have been 91 sales (which VOA should have details of but cannot disclose). See if you can find such sales in archived newspapers which will at least show asking prices.

millymoomoo_2

Thanks for that, I will get on to that on Monday.

One thing I did find today is that in our block of terraced houses there is one house 2 doors away from me that was rebanded to A back in I993. It is exactly the same as mine (used to be friends with a previous occupier) and also a house across the road (again in a row of terraces and again exactly the same as mine) is currently waiting for a decision on rebanding.

TracyD

I've just discovered this site, and was checking out the council tax banding section.

I had the house valued in 1993 with a view to purchasing it. It was valued at £37,000. Looking at the banding rates, it appears I should be in band A, but I've just noticed the council have always had me in band C.

I've lived in house since my parents moved into it in 1966. I'm a bit worried, will I still be able to make a claim to have my banding reduced, as obviously, I've lived in the property for a lot longer than 6 months?

lincroft1710

Tracy - banding is based on 1991 open market values, which were higher than 1993 values. Right to buy values have a different basis to those for CT valuations so you cannot do straight comparison. It maybe that your house should be in Band B, but I don't see it as an A.

You should check bands of other similar neighbouring houses on Valuation Office Agency website to see if any are in Band B. If so ask VOA to reband your house similarly. Also check archived newspaper property ads for 1991 to see if any similar houses on the market. You won't have sale price, but you will have asking price which will almost certainly be higher.

You can ask for a rebanding if you believe there is evidence to support your case. However being outside 6 month time limit means if VOA say no then that is end of the matter.

dilimb

Hya Folks, has anybody else heard about the VOA changing other people's tax?

My neighbour and myself have challenged our banding and it looks like the VOA are looking to re-band over two hundred houses, rather than lower about twenty houses that look to be valued too high.

Zebedeee

dilimb, sadly yes, the VOA like to do that. They put up the bands of over 20 houses near us rather than lower ours. We were the only house in the higher band, so common sense, and a whole lot of other factors and calculations should have put us all in the lower band, but no. We did win on tribunal tho', although sadly many of the houses whose bands were raised did not appeal the rebanding and remain in the higher band.

Avenger2

We have applied for our banding to be lowered from band c , just wondered how long this would normally take? It has been approx 4 weeks now since we had a visit.

Zebedeee

This isn't unusual, Avenger2, but it wouldn't do any harm to give them a ring and chase things along.

lincroft1710

Zebedeee - unless the houses whose bands were increased were different from yours, VOA should have reduced these back to original band following the Tribunal decision in your favour. The taxpayers can still ask for rebanding, quoting your decision as evidence.