How to check your Council Tax band – and how are they measured?
Council tax is set to surpass £2,000 in England as part of Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn budget, which will be unveiled on Thursday (November 17).
Town halls currently have to hold a referendum if they want to increase council tax by more than 2.99%.
According to the Telegraph, Rishi Sunak and Mr Hunt are preparing to allow town halls to put up the levy by 5% without letting locals have the final say.
This means millions of households in Band D would face paying up to £100 extra in April 2023.
Not sure what Council Tax band you’re in? Here is all you need to know about finding it out.
How to check your Council Tax band
If you live in England and Wales, the best way to check your Council Tax band is to go to the official government page.
By entering your postcode, you should be able to tell what band you are in.
Those who live in Scotland will need to use the Scottish Assessors website.
This system was never introduced in Northern Ireland, with domestic rates based on rental prices instead.
There is more information on the Northern Ireland government website about property valuation.
Whether you rent or own your property, you legally have to pay Council Tax.
Depending on where you live and what rate you pay, you might be able to split the payment over ten rather than twelve months of the year.
What are Council Tax bands measured?
The banding is based on the value of your home April 1, 1991.
Your house will be arranged into one of eight bands if you’re based in Scotland or England:
- Band A – up to £40,000
- Band B – £40,000 to £52,000
- Band C – £52,000 to £68,000
- Band D – £68,000 to £88,000
- Band E – £88,000 to £120,000
- Band F – £120,000 to £160,000
- Band G – £160,000 to £320,000
- Band H – property value over £320,000
In Wales, there are nine bands:
- Band A – under £44,000
- Band B – £44,001 to £65,000
- Band C – £65,001 to £91,000
- Band D – £91,001 to £123,000
- Band E – £123,001 to £162,000
- Band F – £162,001 to £223,000
- Band G – £223,001 to £324,000
- Band H – £324,001 to £424,000
- Band I – property value over £424,001
It is worth noting that the one-time tax rebate only applies to households in England.
Devolved governments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will receive around £565 million of Barnett funding so may introduce similar relief packages – though details are yet to emerge.
If you think your valuation seems incorrect, money expert Martin Lewis advises various checks before appealing to the council.
He suggests checking your neighbour’s property price and using a valuation calculator to get more information.
Still think you’re paying the wrong amount? The government website allows appeals, so send your evidence via their portal.
MORE : Council tax bills ‘set to soar’ after Jeremy Hunt’s new Budget announcement
MORE : Prepare for a ‘tax by stealth’ budget from the chancellor Jeremy Hunt – here’s why
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