How to check your council tax band
Thousands of homeowners continue to overpay for council tax because they are in the wrong band. We look at how to check your council tax band and how to challenge it.
Households across the UK could be paying too much council tax by unknowingly being in the incorrect band, potentially costing them thousands of pounds in the long term.
The amount of money you have to pay is determined by the historic value of your home. But for those in England and Scotland, that value was determined over 35 years ago, and had a large margin for error.
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But be aware that by challenging your council tax band, it could go up – rather than down. It could also potentially mean your neighbours are moved into a higher band.
How to check your council tax band
To find out your council tax band, you can:
- Check your council tax bill
- Ask your local authority
- Use the government website
The government’s postcode checker allows you to check for properties in England and Wales, while the Scottish Assessors Association lets you check Scottish properties.
Once you know your council tax band, you can check how much council tax you need to pay by going to your local authority’s website. Find your local authority by typing in your postcode.
How is council tax determined?
How much council tax you need to pay is determined by the council tax band that your property is in.
Council tax bands range from A to H – where A is the lowest band. The higher the band, the more council tax you pay. For example, the rate is typically higher in H, than it is in A.
Bands are determined based on the value of your home – but this is not the value you would be selling it for today. Instead, bands are determined by how expensive your property was decades ago.
The more expensive your property was in those years, the higher council tax band you will be assigned and therefore the more council tax you will have to pay.
In England and Scotland, your band is based on the value of your property on 1 April 2003. In Wales, it’s 1 April 1991.
Council tax band | England and Scotland (value in 1991) | Wales (value in 2003) |
Band A | Up to £40,000 | Up to £44,000 |
Band B | £40,001 to £52,000 | £44,001 to £65,000 |
Band C | £52,001 to £68,000 | £65,001 to £91,000 |
Band D | £68,001 to £88,000 | £91,001 to £123,000 |
Band E | £88,001 to £120,000 | £123,001 to £162,000 |
Band F | £120,001 to £160,000 | £162,001 to £223,000 |
Band G | £160,001 to £320,000 | £223,001 to £324,000 |
Band H | Over £320,000 | £324,001 to £424,000 |
Band I | N/A | Over £424,000 |
Source: gov.uk
How to check you are in the right council tax band
If you are concerned that you might be in the incorrect council tax band, there are a few things you can do to check if your band is appropriate.
Check your neighbour’s council tax band
Similar homes on the same street will tend to have relatively similar valuations and therefore are likely to have been assigned the same council tax bands in 1991.
If your property is similar to your neighbour’s, but you pay more council tax than them, it could be a sign that you are in the wrong band.
You can check the council tax band of the properties on your street using the government's tool.
Check the value of your property
Another thing you should do if you think you are in the wrong council tax band is estimate how much your property was worth in 1991, when bands were set.
If you had a formal valuation around this time, then it is a good idea to check it and see if it matches up with the band you were assigned. If they do not match, you may be in the wrong band.
Alternatively, if you do not have a formal valuation from then, you can use tools such as Nationwide’s House Price Calculator to help estimate the value of your home in 1991.
If the tool says your home was worth less than the range for your council tax band, it may indicate that you are in the wrong band.
Be aware that Nationwide’s tool uses average regional house price growth figures to guess the price, without factoring in the size, quality, or location of the house. It can therefore only give you a rough estimate.
Can you challenge a council tax band?
If you think you’re in the wrong band you can challenge your council tax band through the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), the body responsible for making sure properties are in the correct council tax band.
You can do this through two mechanisms: proposals and band reviews.
You can make a proposal if you have been paying council tax for your property for less than six months, if the VOA has changed your band in the last six months, or if there has been a physical change to your local area.
The VOA legally has to review your band if you submit a proposal.
You can ask for a band review if you have been paying council tax for your property for more than six months and think your band is wrong.
A band review is informal and the VOA has no legal requirement to consider them. However, they say reviews are taken forward when there is strong evidence that shows a property is in the wrong band.
Both proposals and band reviews are free, and you do not have to pay a fee no matter what decision is.
How to challenge your council tax band
The process of challenging your council tax band will likely be arduous and time consuming, but is worth it if you successfully get your property into a lower band.
Not only will you pay less in council tax, but the VOA will also refund you the excess tax you paid since moving in.
Gather evidence
To challenge your council tax band via a band proposal, you will need to gather evidence to support your challenge.
The evidence helps the VOA identify challenges that are most likely to result in a change, and strong evidence makes it more likely that your challenge will be successful.
Your evidence should show how your property is comparable to up to five other properties in the council tax band you are wishing to move your house to.
The VOA decides whether properties can be compared through four main criteria: location, type, age, and size. More detailed information on how these are assessed can be found on the VOA’s website.
You can also use sales information as evidence. The sale of your property or a similar property must have taken place between 1 April 1989 and 31 March 1993 to be valid evidence in England.
For Wales the valid period is between 1 April 2001 and 31 March 2003.
The evidence you submit should be as strong as possible to maximise your chance of a band change. If the VOA does not have the evidence, it is not able to review your band.
If you have lived in your property for less than six months, you will be able to challenge your council tax band through a proposal. You do not necessarily need to submit your own evidence for a proposal, though it is highly recommended.
Submit your evidence
Once you have gathered your evidence, you can submit your challenge through the VOA’s online service, or by email or letter.
The VOA will then review the evidence you sent and either adjust your band, or keep it the same.
While it is not very common, it’s worth keeping in mind your local authority could also find you’re paying less than you should be and hike your bill, so double check your numbers before you challenge your council tax band.
After you submit your challenge, the VOA will confirm they have received it. This usually takes a few days, but could sometimes take as long as 28 days.
The challenge can take up to a year, depending on the type of challenge you make and how busy the VOA are. For a proposal, the VOA can take up to six months. For a band review, it can take up to 12 months.
Any changes to your council tax bill that reflect your changed band will be handled by your local council.
You will have to pay your council tax bill as normal while you wait for the VOA to reach a decision.
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