how do they work out council tax bands
Council tax bands are worked out by estimating what a property would have sold for on the relevant historic valuation date, not by using today’s market price. In England, the reference date is 1 April 1991; in Wales, it is 1 April 2003.
How the band is chosen
The Valuation Office Agency looks at the property as a home and assigns it to a band from A to H in England, or A to I in Wales, based on that historic value. Band A is the cheapest and the bands get more expensive as you move up the alphabet, with H the highest band in England.
Band ranges
| England 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 | More than £320,000 |
What affects your bill
Your band is only the starting point for the bill, because each council sets its own charge for each band, so the amount you pay can differ by area even if the band is the same. Local councils then apply any discounts, exemptions, or special rules where relevant.
If you think it is wrong
If you believe your band is incorrect, you can check it with the Valuation Office Agency and may be able to challenge it. A recent guide also notes that calculators and historic price data can be used to estimate whether a band looks right before you make a challenge.
Simple example
If a home would probably have been worth about £70,000 on 1 April 1991 in England, it would usually fall into band D, because that sits in the £68,001 to £88,000 range. A newer property is still banded this way by looking back at what it would have been worth on the historic date, not by using what it costs now.
Would you like the Welsh bands too, or a quick guide on how to challenge a band?