Help centre

Short, plain-English answers to the questions we get asked most.

• What is Council Tax?

  A quick primer on what Council Tax pays for, who sets it, and why bands matter.

• How are Council Tax bands set?

  Why your band is anchored to a 1991 (or 2003) valuation that may not reflect reality.

• What does "overbanded" mean?

  Overbanded means you're paying more Council Tax than comparable neighbours for no good reason.

• What's the success rate?

  VOA stats: ~27% of all challenges succeed; informal Band Reviews are 41%, formal Proposals 19%.

• How long does a challenge take?

  The VOA targets 90 days; in practice 90–180 days is common for complex cases.

• What evidence do I need?

  Comparable properties at lower bands, plus floor area / property type if available.

• What if my challenge is rejected?

  You have 6 weeks to appeal to the Valuation Tribunal — and we offer a tribunal-prep upgrade.

• Do I need to pay anything upfront?

  The check is free. The submission package is £29 with a money-back guarantee on rejection.

• Is BandCheck a claims management company?

  No — Council Tax appeals fall outside the FCA's claims management perimeter.

• What data do you store about me?

  Postcode, house number, email if you provided it, and the comparison result. Retained for 6 years per UK contract limitation.

• What makes a strong comparable property?

  Same street, same property type, similar size, currently in a lower band — and ideally a recent transparent sale.

• Why can't I just use an official API?

  There isn't one. The VOA does not publish a programmatic submission endpoint.

• Why does Wales have 9 bands?

  Wales revalued in 2003 and added a Band I at the top end. England and Scotland never did.

• How does it work in Scotland?

  Scotland uses local Assessors per council, not a centralised VOA. Same idea, different paperwork.

• Can I cancel my submission?

  Yes — you can withdraw a Proposal in writing before the VOA decides. The £29 fee is refundable per our guarantee.