Council Tax Band challenge question

RensterUK

Hi All,

Just been watching the MLMS about challenging council tax bands. I figured we'd be on the right band, but would investigate anyway - and sure enough, it seems we are in a band E property that should be band D!

Our property was build 2005. Using the Nationwide band calculator, I put in what I bought it for (Apr 2005), and looked for the value in 1991 - and it put it squarely in the middle of Band D! A bit of further digging suggests our neighbours, in identical properties, who actually paid a bit more than I did, are also in the wrong band!

But from what I can see, https://www.gov.uk says to challenge the wrong band, evidence such as Nationwide, zoopla etc is inadmissible - and and Land Registry search engine only lets me go back as far as 2010! Alternatively I can provide evidence of similar properties that are in a lower band than us - but as I say above - it seems to me we're all in the wrong band!

How do we, and our neighbours challenge our bands? What evidence is actually available that we can use?!

Thanks in advance!

Maxim27

I also watched the Martin Lewis Money Show and found the topic of council tax bands particularly informative. I checked the valuation of my property in 1991 using the Nationwide House Price Calculator and also checked the tax bands of all the other properties in my road on the gov.uk website. The results show I am potentially in the wrong tax band of D, instead of band C.

However, I then thought about the potential downside of challenging my band with the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) even if it were to lead to a successful outcome and backdated rebate to 2005. What will happen to the market value of my property after going from a band D to a band C? I may get a rebate for a few thousand pounds for overpaid council tax but surely I could lose out on tens of thousands of pounds when I eventually go to sell the property? Has anyone else thought about this?

I am reluctant to challenge now as the medium to long term costs seem to outweigh the short term benefits.

CIS

The banding of the house has no relevance at all to the current sale value, the valuation for council tax purposes is simply to determine the value for that purpose only.

lincroft1710

Try looking at bands of similar houses slightly further afield.

But the problem you are going to encounter is that as it is over 25 years since CT came into being, the bands are well established and it will be difficult to persuade the VOA your bands are incorrect. The NW HPC is inaccurate and far too generalised to be of any great help.

With an estate built in 2005 it is quite likely that some of the bands were challenged at that time, which if there were reductions is helpful, but if no reductions then the bands will have been fully investigated.

ruthy08

Is the banding purely based on the value of the house? I live in a street with a mix of 2 and 3 bedroom houses, some owned by the council,some by housing association and some privately. 
Is it correct that every house in the street is under band c even though some have bigger houses and extra bedrooms? 

p00hsticks

ruthy08 said:

Is the banding purely based on the value of the house? I live in a street with a mix of 2 and 3 bedroom houses, some owned by the council,some by housing association and some privately. 
Is it correct that every house in the street is under band c even though some have bigger houses and extra bedrooms? 

The bands are quite wide (Band C is for 1991 property prices of £52,001 – £68,000), so it's perfectly possible for a two bedroomed house to be at the bottom of a particular band and a larger three bedroomed house to be at the top of the same band. The ownership of the properties is irrelevant.

lincroft1710

ruthy08 said:

Is it correct that every house in the street is under band c even though some have bigger houses and extra bedrooms? 

If alterations have been carried to a dwelling after 1 April 1993 (England and Scotland) or 1 April 2005 ( Wales)by the current owner, then the CT band cannot be increased on these grounds until that dwelling is sold.