How to challenge your council tax band and check if you can get a discount

Millions of households will pay higher council tax bills from April as local authorities increase bills for residents amid the cost of living crisis.

According to the County Councils Network, three quarters of UK councils plan to raise council tax by 5 per cent from April 1.

Five per cent is the largest increase possible without a regional vote, and means the average D owner will pay an extra £100 a year in council tax, or £2,066 in total.

Households may ultimately pay less council tax by making a successful appeal, but the process is complex and can backfire.

They may also be able to apply for exemptions that can deduct up to 100 percent of their council tax.

The average band A council tax bill is currently £1,310. Band B homes pay £1,529 and Band C properties £1,747 per annum.

Britons who believe their property falls into the wrong council tax bracket can ask the Valuation Office Agency for a reassessment. But this is risky, as there is no guarantee that your tire will go down – and in some circumstances could even go up.

And not only can you pay more council tax after a reassessment, your entire street too.

In 2015, residents of Lynton Avenue in Hull, East Yorkshire ended up paying an extra £160 a year in council tax after a homeowner’s failed bid to have their property downgraded.

Why challenge your council tax bracket?

A successful challenge that results in your property being moved to a lower council tax bracket means you save money every year.

You can also get a refund of overpaid council tax.

How to challenge your council tax bracket

It is possible to challenge a council tax bracket, but homeowners can often find it very difficult to effect a change.

1) Check how your property compares to others

The first step is to check if you have a reason why your home falls into too high a council tax bracket.

If your neighbors have homes similar in size to yours, asking about their municipal tax brackets is a good place to start.

Alternatively, it allows you to check their council taxes, or really the bonds of any English property online council tax checker of the State Taxation Office. If the property you want to be re-valued is in Scotland, use the Scottish Assessors Association instead.

2) Go back in time

The next step is to find out what your home was worth in 1991, when the council tax system was first introduced and bonds were established for all properties. Unless your home has previously been revalued for city tax purposes, it will not have changed since then.

This is often easiest to work out online, using websites such as Rightmove, which record historical sales prices from 1995 onwards.

If you bought your home after 1991 but before 1995, you may be able to calculate its value by looking up home ads from that era in newspaper archives.

3) Check the 1991 council tax brackets

Then check in which bracket of the municipal tax your home should have been placed in 1991. Once more, this can be done online.

If your property appears to be in too high a bond, you may have a case to have it redistributed.

4) Submit a challenge

The fourth step is to ask to reassess your municipal tax bracket.

In England this usually means filing a case with the VOA online. Claimants in England can also email ctinbox@voa.gov.uk or call 03000 501 501.

This is a complicated process and you will need to provide sufficient evidence that your home’s municipal tax bracket deserves to be reassessed.

You will need to provide examples of the municipal tax brackets of other properties similar to your own, as well as information on old house prices, if possible.

You will also be asked to explain why you think your property is in the wrong tax bracket of the council and what bracket you think it should be in.

In Scotland this is all possible on the SAA website.

How to get exemption from council tax

If you can’t get your property into a lower bracket, there are still ways to reduce council tax bills for people on benefits, pensioners, low income people, members of the armed forces, students, people in care and students.

Exemptions worth up to 100 percent of council tax bills are available for:

• Full-time students (100 percent discount for all student residences)
• Armed Forces in Armed Forces Accommodation (100 percent reduction)
• People living in hospitals and care homes (100 percent reduction)
• Apprentices, student nurses, carers, monks and nuns (up to 50 percent off)
• People living alone (25 percent reduction)

To get an exemption you have to request it online.

If you have an intellectual disability and live with someone who is eligible to pay council tax, you should get a 25 percent discount.

If you live with someone other than your spouse, partner or child, you do not have to pay council tax.

If you are on benefits or have a low income, you may be able to get a discount on your municipal taxes.

Each municipality has its own support scheme, so check with your municipality to see what you may be eligible for.