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

lincroft1710

Dans_Girl wrote: »

Newbie here; Just though I'd add a comment re asking for review of a Council Tax banding.
A change has recently happened (in Wales anyway)

This has been the case in England for a few years now

lucia85

hello can anyone help iv put 3 letters in all with evidence and everyone is saying i havent provided correct information for a reband...could you tell me what information you sent as evidence and where you found this, thanks

wee_den

My friend two doors up recently told me that me and 6 other neighbours (including herself) were on a higher council tax banding that everyone else in our street.

She told me to go onto the assessors website and put in a claim. We only discovered this because another house is up for sale and you now know from the home report what the council tax is etc...

We both put in our claim but I got a letter back today saying they cannot accept my claim as valid because it was not made withing the period laid down by statue. In terms of legislation where a person was a taxpayer at 01/04/93 then the last date for submitting a proposal was 30/11/93. Alternatively where a person first becomes a taxpeayer in respect of a swelling after 01/04/93 then the proposal must be submitted within 6 months of becoming the taxpayer for that dwelling.

Now that is what I dont understand??

I never moved into my property till Nov 2000, the property is in Scotland (West Dunbartonshire).

Is it fair that everyone else has been paying less than me for the past 9 years?

They finish the letter by saying they will arrange for a member of staff to inspect the property and theck the banding at the first convienient opportunity.

Are they telling me that I will not be getting any overpayment back??

Many thanks once again for your anticipated assistance to my problem.

Denise

lincroft1710

wee_den wrote: »

Alternatively where a person first becomes a taxpeayer in respect of a dwelling after 01/04/93 then the proposal must be submitted within 6 months of becoming the taxpayer for that dwelling.

Now that is what I dont understand??

I never moved into my property till Nov 2000, the property is in Scotland (West Dunbartonshire).

Therefore you had 6 months from Nov 2000 in which to make a valid appeal against your CT band

Is it fair that everyone else has been paying less than me for the past 9 years?

They finish the letter by saying they will arrange for a member of staff to inspect the property and check the banding at the first convienient opportunity.

Are they telling me that I will not be getting any overpayment back??

No

They have agreed to check your band which is what they are obliged to do. Until this is done, you won't know if it is your band that is wrong or if in fact the bands of the neighbours should be increased.

thriftyfiftyfive

Please could you give me some advice.
I applied to the VOA in August 2010 to have my Council Tax band reviewed, at the end of October 2010 I received at letter from them to inform me that I had been successful, and they had moved my banding down by one level. They informed me that they would instruct East Cheshire council that my banding had been altered, and to adjust the payments that I make, and remburse over payments back to 1993.

I contacted East Cheshire council in early December 2010 to ask if they had received confirmation of my band change and how long it would be before I was rembursed. They replied to me and acknowleged receipt of the letter from the VOA but unfortunately there computer system had been offline and were waiting for a new system to be installed, this would be completed by Mid December.

I emailed them again after the New Year holiday asking the same question, and got a reply back saying that the system is up and running, but due to the back log they could not give an accurate timescale to dealing with the amendments to my account.

The question that I ask is, can councils drag there feet over these issues its nearly five months since they were informed by the VOA over the changes to my account, and will I get interest added to the money that they are still holding that I have paid to them over the past years. I pay my council tax by direct debit and have never missed a payment.

I look forward to your comments, thanks inadvance.

Sunshine_and_Roses

I am band C, and believe that my neighbours are the same. Ours was the most 'run down' house in the street when we bought it, and have done a lot of work in the last few years. The valuation guide is showing me that it was band B back when the banding was done. (only by a difference of £2k though). Our house is smaller than others on the street, some are 4 bed pr have extensions, and ours is only three.

Is it worth me doing anything about it?

paulgambrill

Unusual experience - I emailed the VOA for the forms to fill in to query my banding. I received the forms, all good so far... The next day I then received a letter saying that after taking my views in to consideration they still cannot alter my banding from B to A.

Seemed a little strange as I have never actually queried the banding, I only asked for the forms. Because they were a little pro-active they have said I have 3 months to query their findings.

I decided to offer them a choice - Ignore the letter and wait for me to actually query my banding (thus making the deadline date uselss) or they can choose to receive a rather large rant about why I think my banding should be changed and deal with me directly right now.

In this letter they came up with several reasons to keep the banding as it is which I'm looking forward to argueing about with them. If they give me any problems I'll share the arguements so hopefully someone out there could give me some advice.

I'm still waiting for a response from the VOA.

On a seperate note can anyone advice me on the following council tax issue:

I pay a service charge to live where I do. This pays for a private company to collect my waste, a private company to maintain the roads and paths and the street lights. Should this entitle me to a council tax reduction of some sorts? Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

lincroft1710

paulgambrill wrote: »

I pay a service charge to live where I do. This pays for a private company to collect my waste, a private company to maintain the roads and paths and the street lights. Should this entitle me to a council tax reduction of some sorts? Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

No.

Firstly council tax is not a payment for services, but a tax on the occupation of domestic property. Secondly CT band (which is the only part of the CT equation which can be reduced) is based on property value. CT legislation makes no provision for a council to reduce an individual billing because certain "services" are not provided.

lincroft1710

clareski wrote: »

I am band C, and believe that my neighbours are the same. Ours was the most 'run down' house in the street when we bought it, and have done a lot of work in the last few years. The valuation guide is showing me that it was band B back when the banding was done. (only by a difference of £2k though). Our house is smaller than others on the street, some are 4 bed pr have extensions, and ours is only three.

Is it worth me doing anything about it?

The previous "run down" condition will not affect the current band as CT valuations have to assume the dwelling is in a state of reasonable repair whether or not this is in fact the case. Knowing how inaccurate house price guides are, the Band C could well be correct. Comparison with larger houses is not helpful, they could be at the top end of the band.

Usually unless you can point to similar houses nearby in a lower band, or the price guide shows your home being well into the lower band, the VOA won't do much more than give it a cursory glance.

lincroft1710

thriftyfiftyfive wrote: »

.

and will I get interest added to the money that they are still holding that I have paid to them over the past years.

As there is no provision in CT law for interest to be paid on overpayments I would be 99.9% certain that the answer is no.