Purchased House with No Improvement Marker with Extension

SolarMan2025

Hello All,

I was talking to a friend a few days back and we started talking about tax, the cost of living, etc., as you do, and he asked how much council tax I was paying and I told him and he said that was a low band for my house, so I started doing some research.....

We purchased our house in 2019 (Wales) and looking back at all the paperwork, it had no Improvement Marker on it for council tax and still doesn't, when I just checked.

It was extended (large extension) in 2007 by the previous owner and notified to the Local Authority and all the paperwork is there, planning consent, building control and signed certificate of completion.

Can my Council Tax be re-evaluated? and if they change the band, can this be back dated to when I bought my house?

Cheers

The SolarMan

 

SolarMan2025

@lincroft1710

lincroft1710

Yes, your home can be revalued and yes, as you are in Wales, the increase can be back dated to the date of your purchase

SolarMan2025

Wow, but surely it’s the LA’s fault for not notifying and you could contest? 

SolarMan2025

lincroft1710 said:

Yes, your home can be revalued and yes, as you are in Wales, the increase can be back dated to the date of your purchase

It’s the LA’s responsibility to notify for reevaluation and they have failed. Would they back date given it’s them at fault. Surely that’s unreasonable? Is it on a case by case basis. How could a lay person be expected to know such omissions and the complex law? 

silvercar

This suggests that they won’t back date. You’ll only be liable from when they review. It applies to England and Wales.

https://valuationoffice.blog.gov.uk/2023/07/13/how-home-improvements-affect-your-council-tax-band/

lincroft1710

silvercar said:

This suggests that they won’t back date. You’ll only be liable from when they review. It applies to England and Wales.

https://valuationoffice.blog.gov.uk/2023/07/13/how-home-improvements-affect-your-council-tax-band/

They have changed it (i'm pleased to say)!!

Previously it was date of purchase but after 8 November 2023 it is date of service of alteration.

I always did think it was unfair on Welsh CT payers

SolarMan2025

@silvercar @lincroft1710

Thank you both. So even though my purchase was 2019, because the law changed in 2023, they won’t back date? It will be from the revaluation. 

Sorry, I’m a bit thick…

silvercar

SolarMan2025 said:

@silvercar @lincroft1710

Thank you both. So even though my purchase was 2019, because the law changed in 2023, they won’t back date? It will be from the revaluation. 

Sorry, I’m a bit thick…

It will be from revaluation…..if they do revalue. No reason to think they will do so.

lincroft1710

silvercar said:

SolarMan2025 said:

@silvercar @lincroft1710

Thank you both. So even though my purchase was 2019, because the law changed in 2023, they won’t back date? It will be from the revaluation. 

Sorry, I’m a bit thick…

It will be from revaluation…..if they do revalue. No reason to think they will do so.

Most likely scenario would be someone looking to reduce their CT band and using OP's house being larger and in lower band and thus alerting VOA

silvercar

lincroft1710 said:

silvercar said:

SolarMan2025 said:

@silvercar @lincroft1710

Thank you both. So even though my purchase was 2019, because the law changed in 2023, they won’t back date? It will be from the revaluation. 

Sorry, I’m a bit thick…

It will be from revaluation…..if they do revalue. No reason to think they will do so.

Most likely scenario would be someone looking to reduce their CT band and using OP's house being larger and in lower band and thus alerting VOA

I doubt it, it would have to be more than one house to justify the VOA looking in to it.

My house is in a lower band than it should be. It was extended in 2005 and the flag was not put on it. It was sold to us in 2006, when the band should have increased. Originally half the houses in the road were in the higher band, since most are now extended or rebuilt there are only a handful in the lower band. There are only about 4 unaltered houses in the road, of which 2 and us are in the lower band. I'm keeping quiet!