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

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  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 17,543
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    You can ask for the overpayment to be paid back to you directly rather than be credited against your 2017/18 CT bill. Just contact your council.

    For information only - CT payment for the whole financial year (1 Apr - 31 Mar) is actually due on 1 April of that year, but taxpayers may pay over 10 or 12 months. Failure to keep up with payments can result in the monthly payment option being lawfully withdrawn and the outstanding balance becoming immediately due.
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • Recently converted a small barn in our garden and have installed elderly mother and father in law. Thought we would be exempt due to their age. Council tax dept will not consider it as an annexe because "it is not attached to the main house". Help?
  • Keep_pedalling
    Keep_pedalling Posts: 16,437
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    It is clearly a seperate property so will be subject to a seperate CT bill. Age does not come into it, but if they are on a low income with few savings they may be eligible for a reduction.
  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 17,543
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    Age does not come into it.

    Age very much does come into it where an "annex" is concerned

    http://www.northampton.gov.uk/info/200028/council-tax/924/council-tax-exemptions/22.

    Muppy 99 - The only reason a dwelling in a separate building within the curtilage of the main house would not be classed as an "annex", would be if it was not subject to a planning restriction which prevents the annex being sold separately to the main dwelling.
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260
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    As Lincroft has pointed out an annexe which is occupied by dependent relatives may be exempt under Class W.

    If it's not regarded as an annexe then the 'standard' council tax rules apply and it would be billed as normal. If they're on a low income the they'd need to claim Council Tax Reduction.

    Craig
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
  • Does anyone have any experience of challenging valuations for new builds?

    I've recently started renting a new build through a housing association. Looking on VOA website all the new builds flats in the area have valuations of bands E,F or G. This looks to have been calculated by a reverse present value of the current market value back to 1991 (I used nationwide's online calculator as a guide) rather than assessing what the value of an equivalent property would have actually been valued at in 1991. Going through the VOA's valuation of similar flats that existed in 1991 shows that they mainly have bandings of B to D.
    Any advice from successful challengers on how to go about putting the case on the proposal form?
  • mntb
    mntb Posts: 3 Newbie
    After contacting the VOA to ask them to review our council tax band we received an amended council tax bill today stating we are now band D (from E) which is a great result. We have not received any letters from the VOA regarding this. However, on both the council tax bill and VOA website it says the effective date for th change is 24th April 2017. We moved in to the newly built house in June 2008 and am unsure why this would not be the effective date. We are so pleased that it has been changed but cannot understand why if it should have been D that we would not be refunded payments for the past 9 years. Does anyone have any ideas why this could be the effective date or experience of challenging this? Thank you
  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260
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    mntb wrote: »
    After contacting the VOA to ask them to review our council tax band we received an amended council tax bill today stating we are now band D (from E) which is a great result. We have not received any letters from the VOA regarding this. However, on both the council tax bill and VOA website it says the effective date for th change is 24th April 2017. We moved in to the newly built house in June 2008 and am unsure why this would not be the effective date. We are so pleased that it has been changed but cannot understand why if it should have been D that we would not be refunded payments for the past 9 years. Does anyone have any ideas why this could be the effective date or experience of challenging this? Thank you

    Only way to find out is to ask the VOA why they've used that date.

    Craig
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
  • mntb
    mntb Posts: 3 Newbie
    Thanks Craig. That is my plan for Monday :-) Just wondered if anyone had experienced this and possible reasons
  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 17,543
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    mntb wrote: »
    After contacting the VOA to ask them to review our council tax band we received an amended council tax bill today stating we are now band D (from E) which is a great result. We have not received any letters from the VOA regarding this. However, on both the council tax bill and VOA website it says the effective date for th change is 24th April 2017. We moved in to the newly built house in June 2008 and am unsure why this would not be the effective date. We are so pleased that it has been changed but cannot understand why if it should have been D that we would not be refunded payments for the past 9 years. Does anyone have any ideas why this could be the effective date or experience of challenging this? Thank you

    Usually the VOA notify you of a CT band change.

    The effective date of 24 Apr 2017 is probably a mistake, unless there has been a recent detrimental change in the neighbourhood.
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
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