There are different processes for challenging Council Tax bills depending on your specific situation.
You disagree with a decision we have made about your Council Tax
If you disagree with a decision we have made about your Council Tax in relation to any of the following, contact the Council Tax team.
- a reduction or exemption you have applied for
- the person responsible for paying
- a completion notice we've issued for a newly-built property
If you make an appeal, we'll aim to review the information and tell you about our decision within 2 months. You must keep paying the amount on your bill. We will send you a new bill if the amount due changes.
You can appeal to the independent Valuation Tribunal (VT) if you still disagree with our decision or if we don't respond within 2 months. The Valuation Tribunal is a free service, but you would have to pay for your own costs you incur. It is not connected with any council or HMRC Valuation Office Agency (VOA).
Get help
The Valuation Tribunal has guidance on how appeal hearings work.
Visit their website for detailed information at Council Tax Appeals - Valuation Tribunal Service
You can also contact the tribunal for help via;
appeals@valuationtribunal.gov.uk
Telephone
0303 445 8100
Find out about call charges
Address
Valuation Tribunal Service, Ground Floor, Fry Building, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF
The Valuation Tribunal cannot;
- change the law. The Tribunal has to apply the law as it stands, even if that leads to an outcome that you think is unfair
- take into account whether you can pay your council tax or non-domestic rates demand
- hear appeals about why you have not paid your council tax bill
- award costs
- advise you whether you have a case
- give an opinion about whether you are likely to win or lose your appeal
- advise you if you should appeal or not
- help you prepare your case.
- The VT has no jurisdiction to hear appeals about billing and enforcement.
If your appeal relates to a decision made by HMRC Valuation Office Agency (VOA) information can be found at Council tax banding/deletion appeal - Valuation Tribunal Service
You disagree with the level of charge/discount set by Cheshire East Council
You cannot appeal against the level of Council Tax discount Cheshire East Council has chosen to apply. You can only challenge how the decision has been made in the court by a legal procedure called Judicial Review. You may need to seek specialist legal advice before proceeding with this.
You think your council tax banding is wrong
Don’t contact us if you think that your Council Tax valuation band may be wrong. We have no control over banding and don’t deal with appeals. Contact the HMRC Valuation Office direct.
Council Tax bands are set by the Valuation Office. If you think your property is in the wrong Council Tax band, you can appeal against your Council Tax band to the Valuation Office. You can find information including their current timescales at challenge your Council Tax band: after you make a challenge - GOV.UK.
For more information, including useful information from the Valuation Office,visit Council Tax bands. If you challenge your band, you must continue to pay council tax at your current band until your appeal is decided.
There are companies offering to help people appeal against their banding in return for a fee. This isn’t illegal, but it's free to make an appeal and you can do it yourself.
What happens next if you contact the Valuation Office
The Valuation Office will change your band if they agree it's wrong. We'll then send you a new Council Tax bill for the new amount. Until then, you must keep paying the amount shown on your bill.
To challenge a Valuation Office decision, you can appeal to the independent Valuation Tribunal.
If you get an unexpected call or message about a Council Tax appeal, be careful - see Council Tax scams.
If someone else is helping you sort out your Council Tax, you can give us permission to talk to them by signing our authority to disclose form (PDF, 151KB)
Contact Council Tax
If you're unable to use our forms or have any questions about your bill you can call the Council Tax Customer Service Team on 0300 123 5013 between 8:30am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays.