Proposal vs informal review: which Council Tax challenge route applies to you?

There are two ways to ask the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to look at your band again, and which one you can use depends on whether you have a legal right to challenge.

If you do, you make a proposal. The VOA has to decide it, and if you disagree with the decision you can appeal to an independent tribunal. If you don't, you can ask for a band review (GOV.UK's term; it's often called an informal review). The VOA only takes a review forward if the evidence is strong, and its decision can't be appealed.

Timings are from GOV.UK.

On either route, the core evidence is similar homes near you in a lower band. The check finds them.

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When you have a legal right to challenge

GOV.UK gives these grounds:

• You've been paying Council Tax on the property for less than six months. The six months run from when you became liable to pay, which can be later than the day you bought.
• The VOA changed your band in the last six months.
• Something has changed that affects the property. For example, part of it has been demolished, or the area around it has changed physically, such as a new main road. There's no time limit on this ground.

The proposal form lists one more: a tribunal or court decision about a comparable home, within six months of that decision. A previous proposal being refused is not a ground in itself.

When you don't

You can still ask for a band review if you think your band is wrong. GOV.UK asks for the addresses of up to five similar homes in a lower band, and the VOA says it only takes a request forward if the evidence is strong. Sales from around the valuation date help (see what evidence counts).

A review decision can't be appealed. The VOA says you can ask for a review at any time, so if you later find better evidence, you can send it.

Appeals after a proposal

If the VOA's decision on a proposal doesn't go your way, you can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal. GOV.UK gives 3 months from the decision in England and 4 months in Wales. In Wales, since 1 February 2026, you appeal directly to the Valuation Tribunal for Wales, and you can also appeal if the VOA hasn't decided within four months.

If the VOA thinks a proposal isn't valid, for instance because the ground doesn't apply, it sends an invalidity notice explaining why.

If you're not sure which applies

GOV.UK's online challenge service asks the eligibility questions and works for both routes. If you challenge with us, we choose the route from your answers at checkout and state it in the subject line of the email we write for you to send.

Either way

Keep paying your current bill: GOV.UK says you must continue paying while the challenge is reviewed. And either route can end with the band lowered, left as it is, or raised (see what happens if your band goes up).