Martin Lewis tip helps home-owner get £6,000 again in council tax | Personal Finance | Finance | EUROtoday

Martin Lewis is encouraging households to hold out a easy 10-minute test that would end in refunds price hundreds of kilos. The presenter’s crew at MoneySavingExpert (MSE) mentioned: “Hundreds of thousands of homes across England and Scotland are thought to be in the wrong Council Tax band.”

The steering defined: “Some homeowners and renters have unknowingly been overpaying Council Tax for many years, even decades, because their bands are too high, so payouts worth £1,000s are commonplace.” As such, English and Scottish households are being urged to test whether or not their band could possibly be lowered, probably securing a backdated payout and cheaper payments sooner or later.

Posting on Instagram, MSE mentioned 100,000s of households could possibly be entitled to a payout. The crew mentioned: “Council Tax is going up again in April – many will rise by 4.99%, and some even above that.

“But 100,000s of households in Scotland and England may decrease their bands and get £1,000s again. This is as a result of Council Tax bands listed here are STILL primarily based on flawed drive-by property valuations achieved means again in 1991!”

The post also highlighted a success story from an MSE forum user who thanked Martin Lewis for helping them save thousands, reports the Mirror. They said: “Fourteen months later, I’ve been advised my tax band goes down and I’ve £6,572 on the best way.”

The Instagram publish directed folks to MoneySavingExpert.com, telling them to comply with Martin Lewis’ ’10-minute Check and Challenge information.’ As the web site explains, it is suggested to finish two checks earlier than asking on your band to be revalued, in case the band may go up quite than down.

MSE says to check your band to that of any neighbours with a property that is the same measurement and worth. You can do that utilizing Gov.uk in England or the Scottish Assessors Association in Scotland.

If your neighbours have related properties in a decrease band, you will have a declare, although MSE factors out that it may imply everyone seems to be within the fallacious band. The second step is to finish a valuation test to find out your property’s worth in 1991 and whether or not you need to be in a decrease band. The MSE web site presents a free dwelling valuation calculator, so folks can work out their dwelling’s worth in 1991.

Then full a valuation test to find out what your property was price in 1991 and whether or not you need to be in a decrease band. The MSE web site presents a free dwelling valuation calculator, so folks can work out their dwelling’s worth in 1991.

According to the steering, it’s best to solely submit a problem in case your property passes each of those checks. How you submit a problem usually relies on how lengthy you’ve gotten lived within the property and the place you reside. The technique may range relying of in the event you’re in England or Scotland.

Nonetheless, it may nonetheless be price finishing the test. MoneySavingExpert says if you’re profitable in getting your band lowered, you possibly can count on to pay round £100-£400 much less in Council Tax yearly. You also needs to get a refund for all of the years you’ve gotten been overpaying.