Council Tax appeals
Querying Your Council Tax Bill
You can query your Council Tax bill at any time by emailing the Council Tax team at revenues@uttlesford.gov.uk.
You have grounds to appeal the Council Tax bill if:
- the council is sending bills to the wrong person;
- your home should be exempt from Council Tax;
- the amount on the bill is wrong; for example if you think you're entitled to a discount or relief.
Find out more about about Council Tax Discounts and exemptions.
When contacting us, please always provide your name, address and Council Tax reference number if you have it. It will help enormously if you can tell us about why you believe your Council Tax bill is wrong so that we can offer you the best advice to suit you and your circumstances.
Note: This is not the same as appealing your Council Tax band. If you wish to appeal your Council Tax valuation band you need to contact the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) directly as they maintain the Council Tax valuation list.
Appealing a Council Tax decision
If you disagree with the council's decision about who is held liable for the Council Tax charge or about a Council Tax discount or exemption, you can appeal against the decision. There are two stages to these appeals and you must firstly appeal directly to the council before you can appeal then make a further appeal to the Valuation Tribunal Service (VTS).
Stage 1: Appeal to Uttlesford District Council
In the first stage of the appeal, you must write to us giving the reasons why you think your bill is wrong. Appeals can be made to revenues@uttlesford.ov.uk or to a named officer if you have been advised to do so. We may ask you for more information and after reviewing the circumstances of the decision and your appeal, we will decide either that the bill is wrong and send you a new one or that the bill is right and explain why.
If we decide that the bill is correct, we will write to you to explain why and will provide you with details of how to appeal our decision to The Valuation Tribunal Service.
Stage 2: Appeal to the Valuation Tribunal Service
If you think the council's decision is wrong, you can appeal to The Valuation Tribunal Service (VTS). The VTS is an independent judicial body that provides resolution for Council Tax appeals. Their website explains the processes of making an appeal and provides previous tribunals decisions. You can contact the Valuation Tribunal Service via their online services below.
If you wish to appeal to The Valuation Tribunal Service, you must contact them within two months of the council's decision date or within four months from when you first wrote to the council if you haven't heard from them.
If your case is accepted by the VTS, you will be expected to attend an appeal hearing to present your case to a Valuation Tribunal, who will make the final decision. The Valuation Tribunal Service will arrange an appeal hearing and will contact you to explain the procedures for the hearing. Hearings don't usually last more than a day and it won't cost you anything unless you decide to employ someone like a solicitor to present your case.
The VTS will provide you and the council with a copy of their decision, usually within one calendar month of the hearing. If the tribunal agrees with you, the council will revise our decision and issue you with an updated bill.
Important: If you have queried your bill or are making an appeal, you must continue to pay your Council Tax in accordance with the most recent bill issued to you. If your appeal is successful at any stage, you will be entitled to a refund of any overpayment made.