How Much Is Council Tax Band C?

This blog answers the question “How Much Is Council Tax Band C?” The annual and monthly council tax bill payments for homeowners with a property valued in council tax band C vary from council to council. The blog mentions council tax band C rates for 6 different UK councils.A completion notice for newly built properties decides which band they will be placed in by the VOA. The first payment of council tax becomes due on a property on the date mentioned on this notice.

How Much Is Council Tax Band C?

Council tax band C in England is between(property values of) £52000 and £68000. This is a yearly council tax payment of £1982.55 in Bristol Council, £1542.65 in Ealing Council, £1633.23 in Bradford Council, £1893 in Liverpool Council, £1664.52 in Manchester Council, and £2039.23 in Nottingham City Council for the year 2022-23.

The monthly council tax bill installment for Band C is £165.21 for Bristol Council, £112.49 for Ealing Council, £136.06 for Bradford Council, £157.75 for Liverpool Council, £138.71 for Manchester Council, and £169.94 for Nottingham City Council. Each monthly council tax installment must be paid in full on or before the mentioned date.

How many Council Tax Bands are there?

There are 9 Council Tax Bands. Band A, Band B, Band C, Band D, Band E, Band F, Band G, and Band H and Band I. Council tax Band A is for properties valued up to £40,000. Council tax Band B is for properties valued between £40,000 and £52,000. Council tax Band C is for properties valued between £52,000 and £68,000.

 Council tax Band D is for properties valued between £68,000 and £88,000. Council tax band E is for properties valued between £88000 and £120,000. Council tax band F is for properties valued between £120,000 and £160,000. Council tax band G is for properties valued between £160,000 and £320,000. Council tax band H is for properties valued above £320,000

What is my total yearly council tax amount for each of the council tax bands?

Your yearly council tax bill depends on which council you live in, so your bill could be different from a person living in another council by a maximum of a few hundred pounds 

If you live in Bristol Council, your yearly tax is:

• £1486.91 for a property valued in Band A

• £1734.73 for a property valued in Band B

• £1982.55 for  property valued in Band C

• £2230.37 for a property valued in Band D

• £2726 for a property valued in Band E

• £3221.64 for a property valued in Band F

• £3717.28 for a property valued in Band G

• £4460.74 for a property valued in Band H

If you live in Ealing Council, your yearly tax is:

• £1156.99 for a property valued in Band A

• £1349.82 for a property valued in Band B

• £1542.65 for a property valued in Band C

• £1735.48 for a property valued in Band D

• £2121.14 for a property valued in Band E

• £2506.81 for a property valued in Band F

• £2892.47 for a property valued in Band G

• £3470.96 for a property valued in Band H

If you live in Bradford Council, your yearly tax is :

• £1224.93 for a property valued in Band A

• £1429.08 for a property valued in Band B

• £1633.23 for a property valued in Band C

• £1837.39 for a property valued in Band D

• £2245.70 for a property valued in Band E

• £2654.00 for a property valued in Band F

• £3062.32 for a property valued in Band G

• £3674.78 for a property valued in Band H

If you live in Liverpool Council, your yearly tax is:

• £1420 for a property valued in Band A

• £1656 for a property valued in Band B

• £1893 for a property valued in Band C

• £2129 for a property valued in Band D

• £2603 for a property valued in Band E

• £3076 for a property valued in Band F

• £3549 for a property valued in Band G

• £4529 for a property valued in Band H

If you live in Manchester Council, your yearly tax is:

• £1248.39 for a property valued in Band A

• £1456.45 for a property valued in Band B

• £1664.52 for a property valued in Band C

• £1872.59 for a property valued in Band D

• £2288.70 for a property valued in Band E

• £2704.83 for a property valued in Band F

• £3120.97 for a property valued in Band G

• £3745.17 for a property valued in Band H

If you live in Nottingham City Council, your yearly tax is:

• £1529.43 for a property valued in Band A

• £1784.33 for a property valued in Band B

• £2039.23 for a property valued in Band C

• £2294.14 for a property valued in Band D

• £2803.95 for a property valued in Band E

• £3313.76 for a property valued in Band F

• £3823.57 for a property valued in Band G

• £4588.28 for a property valued in Band H

Is it possible to challenge a completion notice?

Yes, it is possible to challenge a completion notice by appealing to the Valuation Tribunal. You can challenge a completion notice in the following cases:

• Your property is being constructed
• You are making major structural alterations to your property

The challenge must be made within 28 days of receiving the completion notice because the notice mentions the date on which council tax first becomes due on the property.

A property is considered as being complete for council tax purposes when :

• The 12 components (Roof, Lintels, Beams and slabs, columns, walls, floors, stairs, Damp Proof Course, foundation, plinth, and plinth beams) forming the basic structure of a house are complete and the property is sheltered from the effects of weather. 

• The flooring is complete

• Structural work (or first fix) has been initiated which may include building the wall studding, setting up plumbing and drainage systems, electric cable installation, stairs, building roof struts or gas mains have been installed.

• The partition walls have been constructed

• The hardware for electricity, gas and water systems has been laid down

The second fix of property construction includes the installation of radiators and boilers

In order for a property to be considered ready for banding the following work is not required to be complete:

• The final installation of bathroom and kitchen furniture

• The final installation of the electrical grid (including switches and wall plugs)

• The final installation and induction of the electricity, gas, and water supply systems

• The completion of the interior design of the property 

I feel that my property should be valued in Council Tax Band B. What is the procedure for challenging a council tax band and how do I gather evidence to prove my case?

Challenging your Council Tax Band involves appealing the decision made by the Valuation Office Agency. This appeal must be made within 3 months of the decision of your Council Tax Band. If your appeal is accepted, you will then be invited to attend an appeal hearing and present your case in front of the Valuation Tribunal.

You need to complete your appeals form while keeping the following information close at hand:

• A Digital Copy Of Your Decision Notice (the one being challenged)

• Your property address, email, or telephone number, and other details

• Your explanation (with proof) of why you think the Valuations Office Agency’s decision is incorrect. This can only be of a maximum 1200 characters long.

Types of evidence that you can provide with your appeal include:

• Selling prices of similar properties sold at or on 1st April 1991 (similar in terms of design, property area and housing type)

• Data about the banding of other similar properties located in your council area( or your neighborhood)

• Measurements of your property, in case the size of your property is not fixed with the VOA.

• Copies of old newspapers from 1991 showing properties up for sale in that year or around April 1991

• Past tribunal decisions regarding similar properties from the Valuation Tribunal of England

• Lists showing changes in property prices such as those provided by local estate agents or building societies.

When you submit all this information and your appeal is registered, you will be given a date for an appeal hearing (within 5 months). Next, you will attend your hearing and be presented a chance to present your case before the Valuation Tribunal in which you can also ask questions. 

Both sides will be heard before the tribunal reaches its decision. The Valuations Office Agency will also be allowed to ask you questions. The decision of the Valuations Tribunal in light of all this evidence will be impartial (taking into account the relevant laws).

What are the special expenses in council tax?

Special Expenses are charges made by council tax when they carry out work on behalf of your Parish Council. They are made in relation of the costs of maintaining open spaces and Christmas lights within the borough. The Council can levy special expenses on the following items :

• All Cemetary provisions

•  allotment provisions

• Parks, open spaces and recreation grounds

• The Council’s town center support

Conclusion

This blog post answered the question “How Much Is Council Tax Band C?” Council tax Band C is applicable to property with a value of greater than £52,000 and less than £68,000. You can challenge your council tax band (along with the necessary evidence for your case)if you feel that your property has been valued in the incorrect band.

A property valued in council tax band C can get an annual bill of £2039.23 if you are living in Nottingham City Council but a property valued in the same band has an annual bill of £1542.65 for a person living in Bristol Council. This disparity between councils might be due to extra charges levied on your council tax bill.

Please feel free to comment on the content or ask any questions in the comments section below :

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) : How Much Is Council Tax Band C?

Should I be paying less than my current council tax band charges?

Your council tax band allocation and your bill amount can be changed in a number of ways including:

• Having your property moved to a lower council tax band through the Disabled Band Reduction Scheme. This offer applies to homeowners who have a larger property (including an extra bathroom or kitchen as well as space for the person to operate a wheelchair) to cater for the disability needs of an adult or child living there.

• Through the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, which reduces your annual bill given your eligibility for claiming certain benefits and proof of having a low level of income

• The Second Adult Rebate, which is a council tax discount aimed at supporting dependents with little or no income, living on your property. These “Second Adults” can be a partner, a joint tenant or someone who pays the rent for your property.

The Second Adult Rebate council tax discount is available exclusively to pension age council taxpayers. The Ordinary Second Adult Rebate is a 25% reduction of the annual bill and the Students Second Adult Rebate(applicable to pension age students living with “second adults”) provides a 100% reduction of the annual council tax bill.

• The Single Person Discount on council tax can provide you with a reduction of 25%

What do I need to know when dealing with the financial affairs of someone who has died?

The first thing which you need to know when dealing with the financial affairs of someone who has died is regarding their property. The estate of a deceased person may be made up of:

• Finances including cash and money deposits in bank (current and savings) accounts. 

The executor or administrator (named by the deceased person) is responsible for the following actions:

• Paying off the debts on the deceased’s estate. Paying any fees or expenses involved in settling the estate.

• Calculating the amount of inheritance tax due (if any) and arranging for the funds to pay it.

• Searching for the details of the creditors of the deceased person and how much each is owed.

• Searching for the details of money owed to the deceased person’s estate

• Compiling all the official financial documents left behind by the deceased person

• Dividing the deceased person’s estate according to the will or by the rules of intestacy

• Following the approval of probates and letters of administration for the estate the executor contacts banks, pension funds and insurance companies to recover the amount owed by them to the deceased person.

• Arranging and sending out documents to HMRC and to the probate registry.

• Contacting banks, pension funds and insurance companies to inform them of the death of the person by forwarding a copy of their death certificate. Asking them for a confirmation of the amount of money held by the person at the time of death.

 Also inquiring about the amount of income earned during the last year by the person who has died.

• The executors also instruct the banks where the deceased person had been keeping their money to freeze their accounts so that no one can misuse their credentials to withdraw funds.

• Opening new bank accounts on behalf of the deceased persons estate

• Creating an extensive list of the property’s, debts, finances, belongings and other items which form part of the deceased’s estate

Secondly you must know whether the estate left behind by the deceased person is worth more than £325,000. If it is then you need to inform HMRC about the person’s death as inheritance tax will have to be paid on the estate.

Inheritance Tax is a tax on the estate which is left behind by the deceased person. The standard inheritance tax rate is 40% of the amount exceeding £320,000. If the deceased person has left behind their estate in the name of their children or grandchildren the threshold for inheritance tax is £500,000.

Even if inheritance tax is not due on the property left behind by the person who has died, you will need to send in full details of the estate’s value to HMRC in the following situations:

• If the deceased person had given away £250,000 in the 7 years preceding their death.

• The person gave away gifts in the 7 years preceding their death and continued to benefit from them (gifts with reservation) during this period of time.  Examples of gifts with reservation include giving away your house while still continuing to live in it, gifting your caravan to someone while still using it for vacations and gifting someone an antique painting while still displaying it on your property.

• The deceased person has left behind an estate with a value exceeding £1 million

• The deceased person had owned foreign assets in excess of £100,000

• The person who has died had agreed that gifts given out by them during their lifespan would be included in their estate (instead of being classified as a pre owned asset)

• The person who has died had a life insurance policy to be paid out in the name of a person other than their spouse or civil partner (and had also signed an annuity contract)

• The person passed away on or after 31st December 2021 and had inherited part of the estate threshold (of £325,000) from a previous spouse or civil partner

• The person who has died was living permanently outside the UK, but had lived for 15 of the past 20 years in the UK.

• The deceased person had increased the lump sum value of a pension( to be paid out following their death)owing to a terminal illness.

Why is it important to make a will before you die?

It is important to make a will before you die because some rights can only be granted and specified by your own authority and will remain unclear after your death (if you don’t choose to make a will). These reasons are listed down in detail below:

• Unmarried partners cannot inherit from each other in the absence of a will. If you don’t mention your unmarried partner in your will they could be left in precarious financial circumstances following your death,

• Inheritance tax can be significantly reduced if the right declarations are made on your will, such as how the gifts you have given away during your lifetime will be considered. If these gifts are mentioned as part of your estate they will not be regarded as a pre owned asset (which will be liable for income tax or inheritance tax).

• Arrangements for your children to inherit your estate must be made in case one of both parents die. Children will be charged inheritance tax starting from a threshold of £500,000 so this mention in your will can make a huge difference in sorting out your estate.

• Dying without a will also creates a problem for identifying the executor for your estate. If you want this to be a close and well trusted person it is not advisable to delay on writing down your will. Once you are dead the executor will be chosen by law or appointed from your close relatives, which may not be the same person you would have chosen objectively.

• Your will can also be amended from time to time with your permission to account for changes in your estate or family situation.