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

lincroft1710

elliedee33 wrote: »

i explained the situation to the valuation board and after they looked into it they called back to say that they are going to change my band and refund back until i was the tax payer :j yeeha!!!!!:T

Excellent result!

kgldsun

After realising neighbours were paying a lesser band, we challenged our Council Tax banding about eight years ago and had this amended to a lower band. At no time was rebates mentioned, or indeed even thought of from previous years of overpaying. Could we still request this back after this amount of time? It is Manchester Council. Thanks in advance of replies.

Scott_Bradshaw

I bought a flat two years ago in a development of 48 flats. All of the flats were valued at £140k......one of the flats has just sold for £115k.....do you think i have a case to challenge my council tax from a Band D to Band C? Everyone pays Band D at present.....

lincroft1710

Scott_Bradshaw wrote: »

I bought a flat two years ago in a development of 48 flats. All of the flats were valued at £140k......one of the flats has just sold for £115k.....do you think i have a case to challenge my council tax from a Band D to Band C? Everyone pays Band D at present.....

It's what the flats would have been worth in 1991 that is important. If you are in England, Band D sounds high for a flat bought for £140K in 2009. Look around the neighbourhood and see if you can find similar flats in Band C.

lincroft1710

kgldsun wrote: »

After realising neighbours were paying a lesser band, we challenged our Council Tax banding about eight years ago and had this amended to a lower band. At no time was rebates mentioned, or indeed even thought of from previous years of overpaying. Could we still request this back after this amount of time? It is Manchester Council. Thanks in advance of replies.

First check the effective date of the reduced band. If it is earlier than the date you requested the band review, then any overpayment in previous years should be refunded. However this may have been done by reducing the amount payable for the year in which the band the band was reduced or the reduction may have cancelled out any CT benefit you may have been receiving.

I don't know for how long councils keep, or are supposed to keep payment details. The best thing is to phone the council and explain the situation.

Dougie1308

Hi all,
Just been reading the article on reclaiming CT, so done a search of the house i lived in from February 92 until September 07 my house was in band D, my neighbours was band C, they were both identical caretakers houses, tied to the job, both within a school site, and the only houses on the site, do you think i may have a case?
Many thanks for your help

lincroft1710

Dougie, you can't claim as you no longer live there. You will have to ask the current occupier to seek a band reduction.

Dougie1308

That just about sums up my luck just lately ! LOL
Thanks very much for your reply though
Regards Doug

boardwitless

We moved into our house in May 2002, after the owners before us had extended it from a 3 bed to a 4 bed, plus an extra reception room downstairs (I think this was done around 1999). On checking our banding, we are the only house in the street at Band C, all others are band B. There is no 'Improvement Indicator' listed, but on the Directgov details site, there is a date next to our property like this:

Council Tax band C
Improvement indicator (none)
With effect from 23/05/2002
Mixed use property No

This is the date we purchased the house - all other houses have no date next to them. Was our house revalued while we purchased it due to it being extended? As it was only a 3 bed in 1991, (and identical to the others in our road) should it not be in line with all the others in the street at band B (and therefore might we have a case to challenge)? Grateful for advice from anyone who has challenged in the same position

roar349

Just done the checks in the guide. I live in a row of 4 terraced townhouses, all of us are in band E (they're biggish, but only 3 bedrooms) which seems a bit high. I've done the valuation checkwhich puts the properties clearly in band D (I've checked a couple of the 1991 prices). Is it worth challenging?