Council Tax Valuation Bands
The amount of Council Tax you pay depends on the value of your property.
Each property has been valued and placed into one of eight Council Tax bands. The bands range alphabetically from band A to band H.
The valuation is based on the estimated value of the property at 1 April 1991, and does not relate to the current value of the property.
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) maintains the Council Tax valuation list, including placing new properties in a Council Tax band and changing bands for properties in certain circumstances.
The VOA provide information on how properties are assessed for council tax bands.
Council Tax band value at 1 April 1991
- A - Up to £40,000
- B - £40,001 to £52,000
- C - £52,001 to £68,000
- D - £68,001 to £88,000
- E - £88,001 to £120,000
- F - £120,001 to £160,000
- G - £160,001 to £320,000
- H - £320,001 and over
Check your property's band
You can find out what band your property is in by using the GOV.UK link below.
The amount of Council Tax you pay varies depending on the town or parish your property is in. For a detailed breakdown of Council Tax charges, download the document below.
Council Tax for Town and Parish Councils 2024-25 (PDF, 86 KB)
Challenging your property's band
You can ask the Valuation Office Agency to review your council tax band if you think it is wrong and you have been the taxpayer for less than six months, or if your council tax band has changed in the last six months.
If this does not apply to you, you can still ask the VOA to review your council tax band, but you will need to provide strong supporting evidence showing why you believe your property is in the wrong band.
You can find more information about challenging your council tax band and how to make a challenge at GOV.UK On this page:
- click on the title "How to challenge"
- put in your post code and press search
- select your property, and press the link in green titled "Challenge this Council Tax band."
Please complete the online form to explain why you think your property is in the wrong valuation band and provide supporting evidence, such as details of similar properties in your locality in a lower band than yours. Please include your contact details, so the Valuation Office Agency can contact you if they have any questions about your request or they require further information
The VOA has published a video and a blog to explain how properties are banded and the evidence customers need to provide to support their Council Tax band challenge.
If you are unable to access these resources and need further guidance or advice, you can call the Valuation Office Agency on 03000 501501.
If you do make a challenge it is important that you continue to pay your Council Tax whilst you are waiting for the Valuation Office Agency to make a decision.
If your property is derelict, undergoing major structural renovation or has been demolished, you can ask the Valuation Office Agency to delete the property from the Council Tax list. If the Valuation Office Agency decide that you meet their relevant criteria, it means you will not be liable to pay Council Tax.
Please complete the Council Tax Proposal Form and email the form to the Valuation Office Agency at ctinbox@voa.gov.uk
To avoid receiving a large, backdated Council Tax bill, it is important you tell us when the major works are completed or the property becomes occupied, so we can arrange for the Valuation Office Agency to band the property.
Improving your property
If you carry out improvements to your property that increases its value, those improvements do not change the Council Tax band and you will pay the same Council Tax as you did before the renovations. This is intentional to stop Council Tax becoming a tax on home improvements.
Significant improvements are considered when the property is sold.
The Council Tax band may change if the property is sold or if a new lease for a period of more than 7 years is granted. In these cases the Council Tax band will be reviewed by the Valuation Office Agency who will take into account all the changes to the property. Transfers between spouses on divorce do not trigger a review of the Council Tax banding.
The Valuation Office Agency maintain the Council Tax list and mark all properties that they know have been improved and has a band review pending. To check this, you will need to look at the information for the particular property on the Valuation Office Agency website, and see if the improvement indicator is marked Yes or No.
If you are thinking of moving?
If you are thinking of moving, you may wish to check the Council Tax list to see if the property you are thinking about purchasing has a band review pending and if it does, to contact the Valuation Office Agency for advice.
Any increase in Council Tax will be effective from the date the Council Tax valuation list is altered. However, this does not necessarily mean that the band will increase, as this will depend on the extent of the alterations, as well as other factors.
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