Daily Mail

CHALLENGE COUNCIL TAX

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COUNCIL tax bands have not been reviewed for decades, so thousands of homeowners are likely to be in the wrong bracket and paying too much. This is something a buyer may look at.

By demanding a revaluatio­n, you could save hundreds and make your home more attractive to buy. The first step is to check what band your neighbours are in ( gov.uk/council-tax-bands or

saa.gov.uk in Scotland). If they have a similar size and value property, yet are in a lower band, you may have a claim.

Contact the Valuation Office Agency ( Scottish Assessors Associatio­n) and explain why you think you are in the wrong band. They may send someone to assess your property.

If the agency won’t budge, you can appeal to the independen­t Valuation Tribunal. But success is not guaranteed. Of 42,250 challenges from April 2016 to March 2017, the VOA refused to change the band in 31,550 cases. Only around one in five cases taken to the tribunal is successful.

There’s a risk that by challengin­g your band, your property or that of your neighbour(s) could be bumped into a higher one. So be sure you have a solid case first.

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