Refunding Council tax

bgibson61

I have successfully challenged my council tax band from C to B and have been paying that for 30 years, do the council pay all of the difference back ?

eskbanker

Yes:

Expect to have your band lowered and make sure you get a backdated rebate from when you moved into the property (or 1993, whichever is later). You may also want to consider contacting previous occupants, as they should be entitled to a payout too.

Don't be fobbed off if your council refuses to issue a backdated rebate or attempts to cap how far back it'll refund you. We've had it confirmed by the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation that councils have a 'statutory duty to charge in accordance with the valuation list'.

This means they must refund you for the whole time you've been overpaying (though the refund can't go further back than 1993).

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change/#outcome

lincroft1710

eskbanker said:

Yes:

Expect to have your band lowered and make sure you get a backdated rebate from when you moved into the property (or 1993, whichever is later). You may also want to consider contacting previous occupants, as they should be entitled to a payout too.

Don't be fobbed off if your council refuses to issue a backdated rebate or attempts to cap how far back it'll refund you. We've had it confirmed by the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation that councils have a 'statutory duty to charge in accordance with the valuation list'.

This means they must refund you for the whole time you've been overpaying (though the refund can't go further back than 1993).

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change/#outcome

Not always!

Some councils, believing they would be in breach of GDPR have destroyed CT payment records over 6 years old and thus cannot give refunds for any earlier period.

caeler

lincroft1710 said:

eskbanker said:

Yes:

Expect to have your band lowered and make sure you get a backdated rebate from when you moved into the property (or 1993, whichever is later). You may also want to consider contacting previous occupants, as they should be entitled to a payout too.

Don't be fobbed off if your council refuses to issue a backdated rebate or attempts to cap how far back it'll refund you. We've had it confirmed by the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation that councils have a 'statutory duty to charge in accordance with the valuation list'.

This means they must refund you for the whole time you've been overpaying (though the refund can't go further back than 1993).

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change/#outcome

Not always!

Some councils, believing they would be in breach of GDPR have destroyed CT payment records over 6 years old and thus cannot give refunds for any earlier period.

That's fascinating.  I just got refunded, and accompanying the letter was a copy of all my ctax notices back to 2012 revaluating what I should of paid. Glad my council keeps records!