How to Appeal Your Council Tax Band (And When Not To)
If your council tax band is wrong, you can challenge it. But be careful - it could go up as well as down. This guide explains how to check and what the process involves.
TL;DR: How to Appeal Your Council Tax Band (And When Not To). First move: check your band and any discounts you can claim before paying full rate.
Council tax bands are based on property values from 1991, and they weren’t always right even then. If your band seems too high compared to similar homes nearby, challenging it could save you hundreds a year. The risk, though, is real - the Valuation Office (VOA) can push your band up instead of down.
Do Your Homework First
Before you go anywhere near an official challenge, check what band similar properties are in. Go to the VOA website and look up your street and the streets around you. Find properties that are the same size, same type (detached, semi, flat), same age, and in similar condition.
If comparable properties are in a lower band, you might have a case. If they’re in the same band or higher, we’d say leave it alone. What mattered is the value in 1991, not what things are worth now. So extensions or improvements made since then shouldn’t affect your band (though original features do).
The Risk
We can’t stress this enough: your band can go up. The VOA reviews your property independently when you challenge, and if they decide it was actually undervalued, they’ll raise it. They can also review your neighbours’ bands while they’re at it, which won’t make you popular. This isn’t a scare tactic - it genuinely happens.
When You Can Challenge
You can formally challenge if you’ve moved into the property in the last 6 months, if the property has physically changed (demolition, splitting, merging), if something in the local area has significantly affected values, or if you believe there’s a factual error about your property in the VOA’s records.
The 6-month window after moving in is the safest time. Beyond that, you generally need specific grounds rather than just “I think it’s too high.”
The Process
You submit a challenge to the VOA online through GOV.UK, explaining why you think your band is wrong and providing evidence (comparison properties, details about your home). They have up to 2 months to respond. They might agree and lower your band, disagree and keep it the same, or find you should be higher.
If they disagree and you still think you’re right, you can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal. It’s free but takes time and effort. You’ll need to present your case, which means having solid evidence about comparable properties.
What Doesn’t Count
House prices falling since 1991 isn’t grounds for a challenge (everyone’s in the same position). Not being able to afford the bill isn’t either (apply for council tax reduction instead). Your neighbour paying less only matters if their property was genuinely worth more than yours in 1991. Improvements you’ve made since then are ignored until you sell. And the fact that you don’t use all the rooms is irrelevant.
If You Win
A successful challenge usually means your bill gets reduced going forward. If you challenged within 6 months of moving in, the reduction might apply from when you became liable. You might get some backdated refund, but don’t expect years of overpayment back.
Our Advice
Only challenge if you’ve checked at least 5-10 similar properties nearby, most of them are in a lower band than you, you’re confident your property wasn’t worth more in 1991, and you’re genuinely prepared for the possibility that your band goes up. If you can’t tick all of those boxes, we’d suggest living with your current band. The potential downside just isn’t worth it.