Reclaim overpaid council tax

lincroft1710

There have been hundreds of thousands of people who have successfully appealed their CT band. In the office I worked, my VOA colleagues and myself must have dealt with several thousand. There is even a board about successful CT appeals on this forum. I wouldn't disagree that you have to put some time and effort into it, but very little is handed to you on a plate these days.


I will repeat and expand on what I said earlier. Cannot a family member, friend or neighbour (whom this could benefit) look at the bands of similar houses in nearby villages for you. They should not confine their search to houses built in the 2000s, but also look at houses built from the 1960s onwards. 

Kuga247

If the VOA will not recognise certain websites valuations and size measurements how can a lay person get adequate information for their requirements to request a band reduction!What websites do they recognise thanks

lincroft1710

Kuga247 said:

If the VOA will not recognise certain websites valuations and size measurements how can a lay person get adequate information for their requirements to request a band reduction!What websites do they recognise thanks

The reason the VOA disregard any house price index or online valuation estimate is that they have been found to be inaccurate and too generalised. They will of course look at any sales evidence from around 1991 but the Catch 22 is that such evidence is not in the public domain.


Because CT has been in force for almost 30 years the VOA will use this stating that bands for the various house types are now well established (Tone of List), So if you can find evidence that the band of the dwelling you wish to query is not in line with those of other dwellings of a similar age, type and size in the area, you would have a starting point.

EarthAngell

Hi, I'm new to this site, I would just like the advice of any savvy council tax rebranding people out there please. I have lived in a council house since 2005 bringing up my kids alone, during COVID I was bored and looked at my council tax band and noted I was a higher bracket than the other 120+ on my street! I tried to challenge as I'm the middle of a row of 6 houses sharing the same roof! To be told in an email you can only decipher if you work for the VOA, basically no! I contacted my MP and the reply they got was it would change if Moved out.
My point is this should surely be sorted by the house owner before renting been the local authority. Just a bit stuck with how I can sort this for myself as not planning on leaving.
Any help greatly received.

lincroft1710

EarthAngell said:

Hi, I'm new to this site, I would just like the advice of any savvy council tax rebranding people out there please. I have lived in a council house since 2005 bringing up my kids alone, during COVID I was bored and looked at my council tax band and noted I was a higher bracket than the other 120+ on my street! I tried to challenge as I'm the middle of a row of 6 houses sharing the same roof! To be told in an email you can only decipher if you work for the VOA, basically no! I contacted my MP and the reply they got was it would change if Moved out.
My point is this should surely be sorted by the house owner before renting been the local authority. Just a bit stuck with how I can sort this for myself as not planning on leaving.
Any help greatly received.

Most of this does not sound right. 


There is only one time a CT band would change if the occupier moved. Firstly the occupier would also have to be the owner. Secondly they would have to have carried alterations to their home during their period of ownership. Thirdly they would have to have sold their home. Fourthly rather than being reduced, the CT band could possibly be increased.


There is np legal requirement for a landlord to sort out the CT band before renting out a property. The tenant is responsible for paying the CT and it is up to them to query the CT band if they believe it is incorrect.


Although your home is mid-terrace, it could still be larger than other houses in the street. What band are you in and what bands are the other houses in? Can you find other houses the same as yours in your street or neighbouring streets in either the same or lower bands?

EarthAngell

The whole street is Band A and I am band B it hasn't had any alterations and is exactly the same size as the house it's joined too. The house next door challenged and had theirs reduced on swapping ownership a few years ago, this info was available on the VOA website. I weren't council tax savvy years ago I also didn't know you could challenge it until COVID (it's always just been a bill you have to pay) working full time and busy with life until COVID and lockdown had me searching the internet and that's how I came across it.

lincroft1710

EarthAngell said:

The whole street is Band A and I am band B it hasn't had any alterations and is exactly the same size as the house it's joined too. The house next door challenged and had theirs reduced on swapping ownership a few years ago, this info was available on the VOA website. I weren't council tax savvy years ago I also didn't know you could challenge it until COVID (it's always just been a bill you have to pay) working full time and busy with life until COVID and lockdown had me searching the internet and that's how I came across it.

Ask the VOA why your band can't be reduced in line with your neighbour's. 

lizzied79

Our neighbour challenged her council tax band, she was E and we were D. She told me that almost every other house in the street was E, but she did it anyway, and now we've been rebanded into E. I did mention that if most other houses were E she was unlikely to win, but she said she had nothing to lose - but clearly we did.
So she hasn't gained anything, but we're now going to haveto pay more. I'd never looked at our band, as I thought our banding was correct. Clearly she didn't follow Martin's guidance! 

lincroft1710

lizzied79 said:

Our neighbour challenged her council tax band, she was E and we were D. She told me that almost every other house in the street was E, but she did it anyway, and now we've been rebanded into E. I did mention that if most other houses were E she was unlikely to win, but she said she had nothing to lose - but clearly we did.
So she hasn't gained anything, but we're now going to haveto pay more. I'd never looked at our band, as I thought our banding was correct. Clearly she didn't follow Martin's guidance! 

Be thankful!


I'm ex VOA and many years ago a woman whose house was in Band F and complained that identical houses round the corner were in Band D. Result was the Band D houses were raised to Band F!

PJChipB

I have found that ours is the only house in our street in Band G.
Further, our house was Band F before we moved in and was moved to Band G in Dec-2012 (we moved in at the end of Oct-2012).  I don't recall any correspondence about this at the time.  The street dates from the early 1960s with most houses changed over the years; several more so than ours.  Looking at the Council Tax history, there was no flag about development by the previous owner and from the information received on purchase most of the development on the house was prior to 1991.  
Following the steps in the MSE guide, I clearly pass Step 1.  However, Step 2 fails marginally with backtrack figure of £168K = G.  Comparing more recent sales prices, a few other houses also backtrack to G, but we are the only one that has been changed.
I am clearly too late for the 'within 6 months' challenge, but could perhaps ask for a review.  From what I have read, I need to submit evidence to the VOA at the time I contact them in order to do so.
Where I am at the moment, I just want to understand the reason for the increase following us moving in to see if that gives me anything that I can push back against.  Does anyone know if it is possible to ask for this and, if so, how to do it, please?