In April this year it’s been predicted that every council in England will increase its council tax.
To make sure you’re paying the right amount at the moment, Martin Lewis, 45, revealed on his ITV show how to check you’re not overpaying.
Firstly, the Money Saving Expert revealed why you could be paying too much right now.
The council tax system we have today can be dated back to 1991, and Martin explained the valuation process back then had flaws.
He said: “You could be paying more than your neighbour even though you live in exactly the same size property.”
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By checking you’re in the right council tax banding, you could have your banding decreased – which means paying between £100 and £400 less every year – and a rebate for when you moved into the property, as far back as when the tac started in 1993.
So what can you do to check?
As part of Martin’s check system, the first step is the neighbours check.
Find out if your band’s higher than your neighbours’ who are in similar or identical properties.
You could ask them, but this information is also publicly accessible.
If your neighbours are in a lower band than you, then you may have a claim.
But there is a possibility you could all be in the wrong band.
This could mean, you and your neighbours are actually in a higher band and you may all have to pay more – which probably wouldn’t make you very popular.
So Martin’s second check is the valuation check.
This step can’t be used as evidence if you challenge your band but it enables you to check out various house prices on your street.
There are a number of online tools that can help you value your house such as Zoopla and Rightmove.
Find the most recent sale price of a similar property to yours in your street. Now note down both the price and the date of sale.
With this information you can now use it to estimate what your property would’ve been worth back in 1991, and what band it’s in.
If you’re in England, Gov.uk helps explain how to go about challenging your council tax band.