We got a council tax refund of £7,800 thanks to Martin Lewis tip after overpaying for 30 years | The Sun

A MoneySavingExpert.com reader has revealed how she earned her parents a £7,800 council tax rebate.

The reader, known only as Amy, had her story shared in the website's latest newsletter.

You can challenge your council tax band if you think it's incorrect.

If it is, not only will you pay less moving forward, but you can get a refund on the over payments made since you first moved into the property

In some cases you might get a rebate worth thousands of pounds just like Amy's parents.

She explained in the newsletter: "After reading about it in your weekly emails, I checked my parents' council tax band.

Read more in Money

Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s remove vapes from sale over health fears

Big clothing and homeware chain to close two stores for good

"They were wrongly in a higher band compared to their neighbours.

"So after us sending the correct evidence and many emails back and forth, the Valuation Office agreed to lower their band.

"They had overpaid since 1993, so got a refund of £7,800. Thank you so much."

It comes as a number of councils plan to hike council tax rates from April despite households struggling with a higher cost of living.

Most read in Money

BANK BOOST

Thousands of households can get £150 in free cash direct to bank accounts

LOVED UP

I tested supermarket Valentine's Day meal deals – the cheapest was the tastiest

SPICE UP YOUR LIFE

McDonald's is adding a popular item to its menu permanently

HOME HORROR

We paid £345k for dream new-build – but we got an absolute nightmare instead

In some local authorities, residents can expect their bill to go up by as much as 15%.

How can I challenge my council tax band?

Properties across the UK are banded from A to H which dictates how much council tax you should pay.

But the bands were created based on property values back in 1991, so many households may find that they should be on a different band today.

Luckily, you can challenge your band if you think it's wrong and recoup any money you might have overpaid.

It's worth noting, you might be re-banded and have to pay more council tax so think before you rush into making a challenge.

You have to submit your challenge to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) if you live in England or Wales.

You can do this on the government's website.

Alternatively, you can call the VOA on 03000 501 501 for England or 03000 505 505 for Wales or email on [email protected].

You will need some information to hand when it comes to making your challenge.

This includes giving addresses of up to five similar properties in a lower council tax band in your immediate area.

Plus, you will have to say what type of property you live in, its size, age and style and design.

Bear in mind, the challenging process is different if you live in Scotland.

You should go to Scottish government's website for more information.

Read More on The Sun

Exact date McDonald’s is bringing back a popular item to its menu permanently

My daughter is a teen mum and I refuse to help her with childcare on weekends

If you make a challenge and you are in the correct council tax band, there are other ways to get reductions if you are struggling financially.

You can get council tax reductions if you are single, elderly or on certain benefits.

Source: Read Full Article