Council Tax bands and charges

If you don't agree with the banding the Valuation Office has given your property and you wish to submit an online appeal, visit the GOV.UK website.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council do not set your property's Council Tax band.

The Valuation Office will usually only consider appeals against banding when your property has been allocated a banding for the first time or you have purchased the property within the last six months.

If you prefer to put your appeal in writing then you can write to:

The Valuation Office Agency, Red Rose House, 104 Lancaster Road, Preston, PR1 1LX or call them on 03000 501 501.

If you are successful in your appeal, the Valuation Office will tell us what the new band should be and from what date the new band should be changed. This usually takes between 14 to 28 days.

If you choose to submit an appeal you must still continue to pay in line with your current council tax bill until we advise you otherwise.

Other Council Tax appeals

There is no right of appeal against the general levels of Council Tax set by the Council each year.

You can appeal to the Council against the following:

• the local authority has made you liable for Council Tax but you believe someone else should be liable
• the award or refusal of a Council Tax discount, exemption or disabled relief
• our decision, that your property is a chargeable dwelling for Council Tax purposes, is wrong
• the works on a new or adapted property cannot be completed by the date shown on the completion notice we have served

Appeal process

There are two stages to an appeal:

Stage one

You must contact the Council first, fully explaining what decision you are appealing against and why.

You can do this by completing the Council Tax general enquiry form.

Please supply a daytime telephone number and email address as we may need to contact you for further information.

We have two months to decide on your appeal and to provide a response.

If we refuse your appeal (or we agree but you are still dissatisfied), or you do not receive an answer from us, you can move to stage two.

Stage two

You will be required to appeal to the Valuation Office.

Your appeal must be made within two months of receiving a decision from the revenues office, or four months if you have not received a reply.

For completion notices, you have four weeks from the issue of the notice.

You should put your case in writing to the following address, giving the tribunal the same information as you provided to the Council:

Valuation Tribunal, Hepworth House, 2 Trafford Court, Doncaster, DN1 1PN or by emailing vtdoncaster@vts.gsi.gov.uk.