MILLIONS of families face a council tax postcode lottery, paying more on modest homes than those living in multi-million-pound mansions.
Critics have called the system “unfair and arbitrary” with new analysis revealing that some homeowners in London are paying a tax rate up to 50 times lower proportionally than those in the North of England.
The shocking disparities have reignited calls for a major shake-up of the broken tax, which is based on fantasy property prices from over 30 years ago.
The root of the problem is simple – your council tax bill is not based on what your home is worth today.
Instead, it’s based on its value way back in 1991, when homes were placed into bands ranging from A to H.
Band D is the most common, but decades of uneven house price growth mean this once-simple system is now riddled with inequalities.
The average Band D council tax in England is £2,280, but councils set their own rates.
In Wandsworth, people pay just £990, while in Nottingham, they pay £2,656.
This means that millions of homeowners are paying much less compared to their property’s value than those in poorer areas, according to PropertyData.
For example, in Wandsworth, South London, the average Band D council tax bill is £990.07 – despite the average property being worth £691,000.
Meanwhile, in Newcastle, where the average Band D home costs just £205,000, residents are hit with a whopping £2,463.98 bill.
That’s nearly three times as much for homes worth a fraction of the price.
Michael Dent, director at PropertyData, told This is Money: “Council tax is unfair and arbitrary.
“Based on outdated 1991 valuations, home owners now experience a geographic and individual property lottery where the amount they pay depends on a theoretical 34-year old valuation, and how prices in their area have changed since then.
“Properties in the same council tax band are supposed to be worth roughly the same nationally, but uneven price growth has resulted in wide variations in the average value of band D properties by city.”
Million-pound homes paying peanuts
The situation gets even more absurd when you look at high-value properties.
For example, a band F £3.46million house in Kilburn, North West London, pays just £2,940.96 in council tax – equal to 0.03% of its value.
By comparison, a band F home in Preston, which sold for £202,500, is billed £3,396.94 – 1.67% of its value.
That’s over 50 times more proportionally than the London mega-home.
However, this isn’t isolated to just Preston.
Across northern cities like Liverpool and Nottingham, council tax bills can eat up more than 0.7% of a home’s value each year. Yet in Romford, Essex, and Chelmsford, homeowners pay just 0.48%.
How a shake-up could end this madness
The Government is under increasing pressure to fix the system, and big changes could be on the way.
Labour is reportedly considering a complete overhaul.
One idea gaining traction is a complete overhaul, replacing council tax and stamp duty with a single annual property tax.
Under proposals from think-tank Onward, homes valued below £500,000 wouldn’t pay stamp duty, and a local property tax of 0.44% of a home’s value would replace council tax altogether.
Bills would be capped at £2,200, with a minimum charge of £800.
In this scenario, a £300,000 home would face an annual bill of £1,320, while properties worth £500,000 or more would pay the full £2,200.
Renters wouldn’t pay directly under this system, as landlords would cover the cost – although rents could rise as a result.
Another option being discussed is adding new council tax bands.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed has ruled out revaluing existing bands during this parliament, but introducing new bands could help address the imbalance.
Currently, there are eight bands, but introducing more could help ensure owners of high-value properties pay closer to their fair share.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch announced yesterday that her party would scrap Stamp Duty entirely if they win the election but did not propose any changes to the council tax system.
While waiting for change, it’s worth checking if you can reclaim money by challenging your council tax band.
This five minute hack got me a £2,000 refund
JOURNALIST Emma Robertson reveals how a quick, simple check saved her some serious cash.
Logging onto the government website to check our council tax band, I quickly realised we were paying £2,256 per year while our neighbours were paying £336 less.
Our home was listed as a Band E, while the similar three bed semi-detached houses either side were Band D.
I then looked at the houses nearby classed as Band E and noticed they were all extended houses and had also added another bedroom.
And that meant we had been overpaying since we bought the property in December 2018.
It was really straight forward. Once you’ve input your own postcode, the website lists all the addresses around you and what band they’re in.
I submitted a challenge online and it took five minutes to fill out and three months later I received a letter explaining I was due a £2,000 refund.
We are not alone – one in 20 homes in the UK or 400,000 people are in a too high council tax band.
It’s also important to note that your band could go up as a result of the challenge however – or your neighbours‘ property could be changed.
Firstly, you need to check your neighbours’ banding, which can be done through the government website.
And secondly, you need to do a valuation check of what your house would have been in 1991.
It was in 1991 that the new council tax system was launched and there wasn’t enough time to do the task accurately so mistakes were made.
As a result of that, over three million people have now challenged their banding and are still waiting for their refunds to go through.
But I was one of the lucky ones and just three months after submitting my challenge in March 2024, I received a letter advising me that we were being down banded from E to D and that I was due refund.
Challenge your council tax band
Hundreds of thousands of properties are actually in the wrong council tax band.
Back in 1991 the government had to value every property quickly, so estate agents and others were asked to help.
But instead of detailed assessments, they simply drove down streets, glancing at homes and guessing their value – earning the nickname “second-gear valuations.”
These rushed decisions have never been fixed in England and Scotland, which means your neighbour in the same type of house could be paying less council tax than you.
In this instance, you can challenge your council tax band – it could mean you are moved to a lower band and, therefore, pay less.
You’ll also get a refund of council tax going back to the date you moved into the property.
But a word of warning to anyone considering this – there is also a risk that you could get moved up a band and have to pay more.
Depending on which band you are in, getting a reduction could potentially save you thousands.
However, the exact amount of money you can save moving council tax brackets varies depending on where you live.
If you think your home is in the wrong council tax band, then you’ll need to place a formal challenge.
Contact the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) in England and Wales or the Scottish Assessors Association (SAA) in Scotland to do this.
Gather evidence showing you’re paying more – this could be having addresses of similar properties to yours in a lower band, for example.
If the VOA agrees that your property is in the wrong band, it will contact you to let you know your band will be changed.
It can take up to two months for the VOA to review your case.
But be warned – challenging your band might not work.
While you could get moved to a lower band and pay less, there’s also the chance the VOA could find you’re not paying enough.
This could mean you’re moved to a higher band – and your neighbours’ too.
If you disagree with the VOA’s ruling, you can appeal your case – but only if you’ve been told that you can when you get the decision.
You must appeal within three months of your decision – to do this, contact the Valuation Tribunal Service.
If the Valuation Tribunal agrees with you, it will get the VOA to change your band – and your bill will change.
Check if you can get a council tax discount
IF you’re struggling with your council tax costs, it’s worth checking out whether you’re entitled to reduce your tax bill, which can save you thousands of pounds.
Some people can even get their bills slashed by 100%, meaning they won’t pay anything at all.
Here are all the other discounts available.
If you’re a pensioner
If you don’t receive the guaranteed credit part of pension credit, you could still get a council tax discount if you have a low income and less than £16,000 in savings.
If you live alone, you will get the 25% reduction, even if you’re not entitled to any benefits.
If you’re a disabled
People with certain disabilities can get a discount of up to 100%. This applies to anyone considered severely mentally impaired (SMI), which includes conditions such as dementia, Parkinson’s or learning difficulties resulting from a stroke.
If you’re living with someone affected with an SMI, you could qualify for a discount, too.
To be considered, a GP needs to certify the SMI, and typically, they will need to receive at least one type of benefit, such as attendance allowance or personal independence payments (PIP).
Again, you can check your eligibility or that of a family member and apply on your local council’s website.
If you live alone
If you’re the only adult in your home, you can get a 25% discount on your council tax bill.
This includes if you’re a single parent with children under 18 in the house.
Usually, you’ll need to let your local council know to get the reduction.
Even if other adults are in your home, you might still get the 25% reduction, as some groups of people are “disregarded” for council tax purposes.
If you’re a student
Households where everyone is a full-time student do not have to pay any council tax.
To qualify as a full-time student, your course must:
- Last at least one year
- Involve at least 21 hours study per week
If you’re between 18 and 20 and doing A Levels or equivalent, your course must last at least three months and involve at least 12 hours of study a week.
If there is an adult who is not a student in your household, they will need to pay council tax, but should still qualify for a discount if everyone else is a student.
