Check your council tax band?

[Rec]

Just made the phone call regarding our council tax band, to VOA. Used the Martin Lewis guidelines and did my research having found three properties with lower tax band in same postcode, same type of property ( but overall larger and higher value). Tried the online but couldn't work it out, a fifteen minute call and the agent agreed that we will probably be reduced or even two bands, and get five year rebate! Waiting eight weeks for final decision...but worth a check. What triggered my enquiry was a house for sale in town valued three times what ours is, but a band lower! Feel that might be reassessed when sale completed!

 

[tonybvi]

I looked into doing this a few years back as I reckon I could get a band lower. However at the time I felt that being in the higher band would help any sale and keep the price up if I decided to sell the property.

 

[Rec]

I looked into doing this a few years back as I reckon I could get a band lower. However at the time I felt that being in the higher band would help any sale and keep the price up if I decided to sell the property.

That is interesting.....never considered the tax band when buying a house, hence only just querying a high tax band on low value property. Either the house was a bargain....or tax band high...worked it out in the end!

 

[wildebus]

I looked into doing this a few years back as I reckon I could get a band lower. However at the time I felt that being in the higher band would help any sale and keep the price up if I decided to sell the property.

Is that like having a newer car than the neighbours? ... "I pay more council tax than you do "

 

[snapster]

I thought the tax bands related to house prices as of 1991 not today’s value.
We successfully negotiated a reduction on a house we bought in 1993. The house had been compulsory purchased as part of a road development that didn’t go ahead and the houses were sold off at nearly half their value after being empty for two years.
The council dropped us 2 bands.
Here in France, we don’t have Council tax. We used to pay 2 different taxes, but the government dropped the higher of the two.
We now pay about 1/6th of what we paid for the previous similar sized house we owned in the U.K.

 

[tonybvi]

I thought the tax bands related to house prices as of 1991 not today’s value.
We successfully negotiated a reduction on a house we bought in 1993. The house had been compulsory purchased as part of a road development that didn’t go ahead and the houses were sold off at nearly half their value after being empty for two years.
The council dropped us 2 bands.
Here in France, we don’t have Council tax. We used to pay 2 different taxes, but the government dropped the higher of the two.
We now pay about 1/6th of what we paid for the previous similar sized house we owned in the U.K.

You’re absolutely right and the tax band does not even remotely link to today’s house value. However round here where no two properties are alike as we are out in the sticks there appears to be a certain attitude towards property buying in that some folk will only consider viewing a property if it is above a certain tax band. I don’t agree with this and would go by description, area,etc but if it means my house is easier to sell at a decent price (in the very unlikely event that I decided to sell!) then that’s fine by me.

 

[1807truckman]

When we bought our current property it was by description and did it meet our requirements, tax band didn't come into it.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I did that back in 2001 I know the people who had done the original estimate, turns out it was done as a drive by, no houses in our street were properly surveyed, we went down to the lowest category at the time, the street bought me pressies as I had helped them too.

Also since I got made redundant in 2009 I have been on pension credit, however, Liz gets a private pension and this is taken into account for the council tax, but she turned 667/67 in April which means my PC stopped and with it free dental, zero council tax etc, so Liz being Liz looked into if there was a way to reduce the council tax, so we had to show recent bank statements and we got a letter yesterday dropping it from £1800 to £500 approx. Result.

 

[Rec]

There is something emotionally satisfying in getting a reduction, as well as the actual money!

 

[Pudsey Bear]

"emotionally satisfying" liking that.