Reclaiming overpaid Council Tax
When people first starting moving into the new houses in Arbury ward, many of us discovered that we had been placed into the wrong Council Tax band and were paying too much. Since then, it has emerged that across the country there could be as many as 400,000 homes paying more than they should.
This page gives you some useful tips for how to check whether you are paying too much. It also tells you how you can reclaim money where you believe you have overpaid Council Tax.
1) Compare your Council Tax with your neighbours
Similar properties in the same area should, in theory, all be in the same Council Tax band. The band of every house in England is available publicly via the Valuation Office Agency (VOA). Their web site is www.voa.gov.uk.
On the VOA website you can check both your Council Tax band and those of your neighbours.
If you own a similar property to your neighbours and are in a higher Council Tax band then you may be paying too much.
2) Check what your home was worth in 1991
Council tax bands are based upon what your home would have cost in 1991.
To calculate what your house would have been worth in 1991 go to www.nationwide.co.uk/hpi and follow these instructions:
- In ‘Property value' enter the price you paid for your property
- In ‘Valuation date 1' enter the date you bought your property
- In Valuation date 2' enter 1991, and Q2
- Select your region from the drop down list
- Click ‘calculate the results’
Once you have a value for your house compare it to the Council Tax bands below.
Remember that the value of your house could be increased by improvements made to it, such as building an extension or converting the loft. The calculator won’t take this into account.
If you bought your house prior to 1991 you can do the same calculation for any similar properties in your area. Details of what local properties were sold for can be found at www.houseprices.co.uk
3) Challenge your Council Tax
If you have done the checks above and think you are in the wrong band then you may want to consider challenging the amount you pay.
You need to be aware that challenging your banding involves asking for a "reassessment". It is not possible to just ask for a decrease; although it is rare there is a chance that your Council Tax band could be increased.
To challenge your Council Tax banding you need to write to your Local Listing Officer at:
5th Floor
Sherbourne House
1 Manor House Drive
Coventry
CV1 2TG
You can also do this online at the VOA website.