Council tax bands and challenges

Challenge your banding

We do not set council tax bands and cannot alter them - we are legally obliged to bill in line with the banding set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA).

You have a legal right to challenge your council tax band (‘make a proposal’) if you think your band is wrong and either:

  • you have been paying council tax on your property for less than 6 months.
  • your council tax band has been changed in the last 6 months.

You also have a legal right to challenge if:

  • there’s been a change that affects the property.
  • you want to remove the property from the council tax list
  • you want to add the property to the council tax list

If you choose to challenge your banding, please make sure you continue to pay your current council tax bill until any challenge is settled.

Information you will need to provide

When you make a challenge to the Valuation Office Agency, you’ll need to provide:

  • your name.
  • address of your property.
  • the date from which you want to make the proposal.

You’ll also need to say whether you’re the homeowner or a tenant.

If there has been a change to your property or area

If you’re proposing a new band, you must also provide one of the following:

  • a description of any changes to your property.
  • details of your property’s change of use.
  • a description of how your local area has changed physically.
  • details of any physical works which have taken place to your property.

If you’re a new tax payer and have been in your property for less than 6 months

You must also provide the date you became a council tax payer. This date might be before you moved into the property you’re making the proposal for.

Evidence to support your challenge

You’ll need to provide addresses for up to 5 similar properties in a lower band than yours.

The properties should be the same as your property in terms of:

  • type - for example, if you live in a semi-detached house the properties should be semi-detached houses.
  • size - for example, number of bedrooms and total area.
  • age.
  • style and design.

The properties should also be either:

  • in the same street or estate - if you live in a town or city.
  • in the same village or area - if you live in the countryside.

Find out more.

How to challenge

use the online service to make a challenge. You can use this whether you have a legal right to make a challenge or not. 

Any questions

If you have any questions, please speak to the Valuation Office Agency or call 03000 501 501.

Full details of how to appeal are contained in the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and Council Tax (Alteration of Lists and Appeals) Regulations 1993.

If you choose to challenge your banding, please make sure you continue to pay your current council tax bill until any appeal is settled.