Thousands face £600 extra on council tax bills as homes are moved into higher bands

Published 20th Jul 2009

Thousands of homeowners are being hit with up to £600 extra on their council tax bills following a secret revaluation process by town hall inspectors.

New figures show that more than 1,000 homes are being moved into higher council tax bands every month.

Householders who have improved their properties with extensions, garages and double-glazing are worst hit by the 'stealth revaluation' with many homes being moved up two bands.

In some cases, the decisions may even have been prompted by a change in local services, such as better results at a local school or a new bus route running close to the property.

Official figures show that 13,852 homes in England were moved up one or more council tax bands in the past year following inspections by officials from the Government’s Valuation Office Agency.

Revaluation can cost a homeowner hundreds of pounds a year. A typical Band D bill is £1,414 a year. If a property is moved up to Band E the owner will be charged an extra £314.

If the property is moved up two bands to Band F, the owner will be charged an extra £628 a year in council tax.

Ministers were forced to ditch plans for a national council tax revaluation back in 2007 amid fears of a massive public backlash.

But campaigners say the process is being carried out by the back door with homes being revalued every time they are sold.

Inspectors have powers to take detailed measurements, as well as photographs, inside and outside a property.

The information is placed on a massive database, which will eventually hold details of all 23million homes in England.

The latest figures reveal that badly affected areas include Stevenage in Hertfordshire, where 385 homes were moved up at least one band last year, Wigan, Greater Manchester, where 293 families were hit, Bromley in Kent, where 151 homes were moved up and Ashfield, Notts, where 148 homes were affected.

Liberal Democrat local government spokesman Julia Goldsworthy last night said: 'Ministers insist that a national revaluation will not take place, yet we have inspections being carried out and thousands of homes being moved into higher bands. It is a ­revaluation by stealth.

'Ministers deny it is going on but anyone buying a house that has been improved faces a lottery which could end up with them receiving a nasty surprise. They are trying to carry out the process by the back door, which is just dishonest.'

John O’Connell, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: 'Given the state of the property market, councils should stop moving homes into higher tax bands.'

A spokesman for the Department of Communities and Local Government said it had a duty to maintain accurate valuation lists and added: 'No national revaluation is taking place.'

The figures also reveal that last year almost 46,000 homes were moved down a tax band following appeals.

Source: ' Daily Mail '

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