How long does a Council Tax band challenge actually take?

GOV.UK says the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) usually acknowledges a challenge within a few days, and can take up to 28 days. A decision can take up to 4 months if you made a formal proposal, or up to 12 months for a band review. If your band is lowered, your council then recalculates your bill, and there's no fixed timescale for that.

Which route you're on depends on whether you have a legal right to challenge; proposal vs band review explains how to tell. Keep paying your current bill throughout.

During the review

A VOA caseworker checks:

• your band and the property details on record;
• the comparables you cited, against their own records;
• any sales or other evidence from around the valuation date;
• differences between your home and the comparables, such as an extension.

The VOA may write asking for more information. Reply by the deadline it gives, and keep copies of everything you send.

The decision

It can go three ways:

• Lowered. The letter gives the new band and the date it takes effect.
• Unchanged. The letter explains why.
• Raised. A review can increase a band. The VOA says an increase isn't backdated.

If the band isn't lowered

• After a proposal you can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal: within 3 months of the decision in England, or 4 months in Wales. In Wales you can also appeal if you've had no decision after four months.
• After a band review there's no appeal. You can ask for another review if you find evidence you didn't send the first time, such as a closer comparable or a sale from the valuation window.

After a lower band

The VOA tells your council, which revises your account from the date the change takes effect and repays or credits the overpayment. How backdating works covers how far back that goes and how to ask for the money.

When to follow up

Get in touch if:

• nothing has been acknowledged after 28 days;
• a deadline in the VOA's letters, or the 4- or 12-month decision period, has passed;
• your contact details change;
• your council hasn't revised your bill a few weeks after a lower band was confirmed.

Following up puts your position on record. It doesn't guarantee a quicker decision. If you challenge with us, your order page has letters for asking for an update and for the refund, and we email you when it's time to chase.