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Council Tax: Tax Rates and Bands

Asked by Kevin HollinrakeConservativeTreasuryTabled Answered 1 May 2025UIN 47257

The question

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Valuation Office Agency can increase council tax bands outside the sale of a property where the property owner has not challenged the existing valuation.

Answered by James Murray

Outside the sale of a property, there are very limited circumstances where a listing officer (LO) can alter a Council Tax band. If an LO is satisfied there is an error in the valuation list, they have a statutory duty to correct that error.

If that error results in an increase to the band, the increase would be effective from the date the list is altered. A reduction of a property’s band as a result of an error would be backdated as necessary.

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