Richmondshire residents looking to
lower their council tax by having their homes revalued are being
urged to do it themselves!
It comes after district council finance
officers became aware of a company offering to act on behalf of
taxpayers – and charging for a service that is accessible to
everyone for free.
Anyone who thinks their property is in the
wrong band for council tax – and is therefore paying too much – can
appeal to the Valuation Office for a revaluation.
“We have become aware of a company operating
in our area which is advising residents that they are overpaying
council tax and for a fee they will appeal to the Valuation Office
Agency to get it reduced – they charge for this service,” said
Revenues and Benefits Manager, Brian Bottle.
“But there is absolutely no need for anyone to
pay a fee to get their banding reviewed. There is no guarantee any
appeal will be successful and if a resident pays an up front fee
they may actually find themselves worse off.”
To appeal a valuation write to the Valuation
Office Agency who will investigate and write back with their
decision. If a property is in the wrong band it will
also inform the Council and any amounts overpaid will be refunded
automatically. Appeals should be sent to Valuation Office
Agency, 2nd Floor, 2 Victoria Avenue, Harrogate, HG1
1TN.
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