How TaxBandCheck Works
Five data-driven factors. One score. Everything you need to decide whether to challenge your council tax band.
What TaxBandCheck Does
TaxBandCheck analyses your property against 29 million EPC records, Land Registry price paid data, VOA tribunal decisions and planning designations to calculate a case strength score from 0–10.
In England, over 400,000 properties are estimated to be in the wrong council tax band. Bands were set in 1991 based on estimated property values — many by little more than a drive-by glance. England has never had a revaluation since.
Our scoring model cross-references five independent data sources to determine how likely it is that your band is wrong, and how strong your evidence would be if you challenged it.
The Five Scoring Factors
Each factor contributes a weighted share to your overall 0–10 score.
Band Anomaly
Is your property in a higher band than neighbours with similar characteristics? This is the strongest single indicator of misbanding.
EPC Comparability
How does your floor area and property type compare to lower-banded neighbours? We use 29M+ EPC records to find true like-for-like comparables.
Land Registry Evidence
What does the 1991-equivalent sale price suggest your band should be? We back-calculate from Land Registry price paid data to estimate what your property would have been valued at in April 1991.
VTE Appeal Precedent
We cross-reference your postcode against our database of 10,986 Valuation Tribunal for England decisions across 326 billing authorities, scored by outcome: Allowed, Allowed in Part, or Dismissed.
Planning Context
Are there conservation area or heritage designations that affect valuation? Listed buildings and conservation areas can constrain property values in ways the original banding may not have accounted for.
Two Reports. One Goal.
Choose the level of detail you need.
Full Intelligence Report
Limited introductory price
- Complete 0–10 case strength score
- All 9 data panels on screen
- Detailed breakdown of all 5 scoring factors
- Comparable property analysis
- 3-page PDF report download
Complete Challenge Bundle
- Everything in the Full Intelligence Report
- Pre-populated VOA challenge letter
- PAD data request template
- Step-by-step submission guide
- Evidence checklist
- Professional comparable analysis
- Solicitor-ready evidence pack
A Real Example: How the Score Is Calculated
Here's how the five factors combine for a real property type.
Example property
3-bedroom semi-detached in Band E, Gedling, Nottinghamshire
When this postcode is checked, TaxBandCheck cross-references five data sources:
The VOA’s own valuation list shows 14 similar semi-detached properties on the same street in Band D. This property is in Band E — one band higher.
EPC Register records show this property has 82m² of floor area. The Band D comparables average 84m². Effectively identical — supporting the band anomaly finding.
The property last sold in 2019 for £210,000. Back-calculating to April 1991 using Land Registry price indices gives an estimated 1991 value of ~£62,000 — placing it firmly in Band C or D territory, not Band E (which requires £88,001–£120,000 in 1991 values).
Our database contains 23 tribunal decisions for Gedling billing authority. 14 were allowed or allowed in part — a 61% success rate in this area.
No conservation area or listed building designation.
Overall Score
8.4 / 10
Very Strong case
This is a representative example based on typical data patterns. Individual scores depend on the specific data available for your property and postcode.
What Happens After You Buy
You receive an email with a link to your report
Your report is available immediately. The link is valid for 30 days from purchase.
Download your PDF at any time
You can download your PDF report as many times as you like during the 30-day access period. Once downloaded, it’s yours to keep permanently.
The challenge is yours to pursue
TaxBandCheck gives you the evidence and documentation. The VOA challenge process is free and straightforward — our reports give you everything you need to do it yourself.
How It Works in Scotland
TaxBandCheck now covers Scotland. Scottish postcodes are automatically detected and routed to Scottish data sources — including Scottish Assessor band data, Scottish EPC records, and Registers of Scotland price paid data. Scotland uses the same 1 April 1991 valuation date as England but with different band thresholds (e.g. Band A covers up to £27,000 in Scotland vs £40,000 in England). The challenge process in Scotland is called a “proposal” and is submitted to your local Scottish Assessor rather than the VOA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about TaxBandCheck, the scoring model, and the challenge process.
TaxBandCheck cross-references five independent, publicly available data sources to produce every score. Properties scoring above 4 have meaningful evidence of potential over-banding; those scoring above 7 have strong multi-source evidence. The tool does not guess — every score is backed by real data. Only the Valuation Office Agency can formally change a band, but our scoring engine tells you whether the evidence justifies pursuing it.
We use the VOA’s postcode council tax band list, over 29 million EPC certificates from the EPC Register, Land Registry price paid data, Valuation Tribunal for England (VTE) decision records, and DLUHC planning designation data. Each source is weighted according to its evidential strength and combined into your 0–10 case strength score.
We store only the postcode you searched and a hashed session identifier so we can serve your report. We do not ask for your name, address, or any other personal information during the free check. If you purchase a report, Stripe handles payment securely — we never see or store your card details.
Band Anomaly is the single strongest indicator of misbanding. It compares your property’s council tax band against other properties on the same street or postcode with similar characteristics. If your neighbours are in a lower band than you despite having a similar property type, size, and age, that’s an anomaly — and it carries 30% of the total score weighting.
Energy Performance Certificates record a property’s floor area, type, and construction age. This lets us compare your property to lower-banded neighbours on a true like-for-like basis. If a Band D property next door has the same floor area and type as your Band E property, that’s strong evidence the bands are inconsistent.
The VTE is the independent body that hears appeals against council tax banding decisions in England. If you challenge your band with the VOA and they refuse to change it, you can appeal to the VTE. Our database includes 10,986 VTE decisions across 326 billing authorities, which we use to assess how successful appeals have been in your area.
Yes. There is no time limit on challenging your council tax band in England. Whether you moved in last month or 30 years ago, you have the right to ask the VOA to review your banding. If your band is reduced, you are entitled to a refund for every year you overpaid — potentially back to 1993 when council tax was introduced.
PAD stands for ‘Provide a Decision’ — it is the formal process for asking the Valuation Office Agency to review your council tax band. You can submit a PAD request online through the GOV.UK website. Our Complete Challenge Bundle includes a pre-populated PAD request template so you don’t have to start from scratch.
The Full Intelligence Report (£6.99) gives you the complete 0–10 case strength score, all nine data panels, a detailed breakdown of every scoring factor, comparable property analysis, and a downloadable 3-page PDF. The Complete Challenge Bundle (£39.99) includes everything in the Full Report plus a pre-populated VOA challenge letter, PAD request template, step-by-step submission guide, evidence checklist, and a solicitor-ready evidence pack.
If TaxBandCheck gives you a low score (below 3), the evidence suggests your band is likely correct and a challenge would be unlikely to succeed. We show you exactly why, so you can make an informed decision. No challenge is risk-free — the VOA can increase your band if they find it is too low — so a low score is valuable information that could save you from an unwanted outcome.
You can absolutely submit the challenge yourself. The VOA challenge process is free and designed for individuals. Our reports give you all the evidence and documentation you need. A solicitor is not required, though some people choose to use one for complex cases or if they prefer professional support.
The VOA aims to respond to most challenges within two months, but complex cases can take longer. If they refuse your challenge, you have the right to appeal to the Valuation Tribunal for England, which typically schedules hearings within three to six months.