What Are The Council Tax Bands In Tameside?

This blog post aims to help in reviewing the council tax bands in Tameside. In addition to listing down the latest council tax band rates applicable in Tameside borough, we will discuss how council tax bands are assigned and if they can be challenged if incorrectly assigned to a property.

What Are The Council Tax Bands In Tameside?

The council tax bands in Tameside Borough as of April 2022 can be classified as follows:

Council tax band	Value of property	Council tax rate
A	up to £40,000	£1,322.24
B	between £40,001 and £52,000	£1,542.61
C	between £52,001 and £68,000	£1,762.99
D	between £68,001 and £88,000	£1,983.39
E	between £88,001 and £120,000	£2,424.12
F	between £120,001 and £160,000	£2,864.87
G	between £160,001 and £320,000	£3,305.63
H	above £320,000	£3,966.76

Tameside Borough Council is a local authority in the UK which has approximately 104,020 residential properties subject to council tax based on the above bands; which are assigned on the basis of the value of a property.

The number of properties under each tax band is categorised below:

Band A comprises 52,737 properties
Band B comprises 19,146 properties
Band C comprises 19,915 properties
Band D comprises 6,965 properties
Band E comprises 3,798 properties
Band F comprises 976 properties
Band G comprises 443 properties
Band H comprises 40 properties

If you wish to learn more about how your property is valued by the Valuation Office Agency and assigned a tax band, you can write to them at the following address:

Valuation Office Agency

Durham Customer Service Centre

Wycliffe House

Green Lane

Durham, DH1 3UW

Alternatively, you can confirm your Tameside council tax band by conducting an online Band Search on their website, using your postal code and home address.

How Are Council Tax Bands Assigned?

Council tax bands are assigned based on the market value of a property. Once local council offices are informed of a new house being constructed or a new resident moving into their area, they will inform the Valuation Office Agency.

Listing Officers from the Valuation Office Agency are responsible for the assessment of properties based on their market value; keeping the year 1993 as the period of assessment. This backdated assessment keeps the amount of council tax bills much reduced as inflation and rising housing prices are not considered.

The local council office maintains a list of all the houses in their area. Once the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) shares its value assessment, council tax bills for the next year are prepared and sent out to residents on April 1st each year.

There are eight valuation bands for council tax bills that run across A to H, with Band A assigned to properties with the lowest value and increasing up to Band H for properties with higher values. It is based on this assigned band that the amount of council tax is decided.

In addition to a property’s value, the Valuation Office Agency considers the following factors when assessing a property for valuation purposes:

location
size
character
layout
purpose or use

Can You Challenge A Council Tax Band?

Yes, you can challenge a council tax band under the following circumstances:

the property in question has either been demolished, split into multiple properties or multiple properties have been merged into one
the use of the property has changed; for instance, a part of it is being used for business
the local area has changed due to recent developments such as a new supermarket which has affected your property’s value

In addition to this, if you have been paying council tax at your property for less than six months and can provide evidence of five similar properties in your area which are assigned a lower Council Tax band than yours, your property can be reassessed by the VOA for a change in council tax band.

The properties that are to be compared against yours for a council tax band challenge should be similar to your property in the following features:

age
style and design
size
type
location

You can file a council tax challenge online, via email to the Valuation Office Agency at ctinbox@voa.gov.uk or by placing a call at 03000 501 501 and asking for the “Making a Proposal to alter the Valuation List” form. Alternatively, you can also write to:

The Listings Officer

Council Tax North

Valuation Office Agency

King William House

Market Place

Hull, HU1 1RT

How Can I Pay My Council Tax In Tameside?

You can pay your council tax in Tameside in many ways. These include the following:

Direct debit payments made on the 1st, 15th or 23rd of the month
Debit or Credit card payments by using the council’s secure network to access the online payment form
Telephone payments by calling 0330 008 1605
Standing orders through your bank
Cheques through the post
In-person payments at your local post office

Council tax payments are paid through 10 monthly instalments. These payments are made from April to January; with February and March being tax-free months.

If a resident is unable to afford their monthly council tax instalment or would require a relief, they may request to have the annual bill be spread over 12 monthly instalments.

In terms of mode of payment, local councils may accept weekly or fortnightly payments as well. Generally, a discount may be availed if the payee chooses to pay the entire annual tax bill in advance.

If you wish to learn more about council tax payments, you can call the Tameside Council’s general call centre at 0161 342 8355 or email customer.services@tameside.gov.uk.

The Council Offices are located at the following address:

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

Tameside One

PO BOX 317

Ashton under Lyne

OL6 0GS

Conclusion:

The above discussion has highlighted the latest council tax rates that apply against each council tax band in Tameside borough. These bands are based on the market value of one’s property and can be reassigned if any major modifications are done to the property or it loses its real estate value.