Council Tax banding information and searches
Check the Council Tax band for a property
Use the Council Tax band search to find the Council Tax band for a residential or domestic property in Herefordshire. You will need the postcode and/or address.
How Council Tax works
The banding process for a new property
The Valuation Office is the Government department responsible for deciding which band a property will be in. Herefordshire Council has no involvement with this decision and therefore we are unable to advise what the band will be.
When we receive notification of a new property, we set up a Council Tax account on our records and send a report to the Valuation Office to request banding. We will send you a letter setting out the next steps including:
- How long it may take for the Valuation Office to band the property
- Ways to make payments on account until your actual banding information is received (See 'Paying your Council Tax on an unbanded property' below for more information on this).
When the Valuation Office notifies us of the banding, we create the charge and we'll send you an opening bill minus any payments you may have already made.
How long will banding take?
It can take up to 12 weeks for the Valuation Office to band a property. If you wish to query the status of the property's banding, you must do so directly to the Valuation Office.
Paying your Council Tax on an unbanded property
We set up a Council Tax account as soon as we are notified of a new property. However, we cannot issue a bill for the address until the Valuation Office informs us what the annual charge will be.
Due to the time-scale of banding a property, you will usually receive a back-dated bill from the date you became liable to pay Council Tax. We therefore recommend you begin making payments towards your Council Tax account to reduce the impact of receiving a large charge in your opening bill.
It's up to you how much you pay in advance. You can use the Council Tax Band search for properties that may be of a similar banding in your area. This would give you an indication of how much you could pay.
When the property is banded, any payments you've made will then be off-set against the Council Tax charge created and will be detailed on your opening bill.
Challenge the banding of a new property
You can appeal the decision that the Valuation Office has made but you must do so direct to them, within three months of receiving their decision.
Whilst your appeal is being processed, you must still pay your Council Tax in accordance with the instalments that are issued to you on your opening bill. Failure to do so may result in recovery action being taken.
If the Valuation Office decides to reduce your band, we will refund any overpayment to you as soon as we receive their decision.
Challenge an existing Council Tax band
You may be able to challenge your Council Tax band if you have evidence that suggests the band is wrong. For example:
- If there are physical changes in the area that change the value of the property
- If the Valuation Office changes the band your property is in
- Within six months of becoming the person who pays the Council Tax for the property
Find more information about how to challenge your Council Tax Band
You must continue to pay your Council Tax while you are making an appeal and until you have received a decision on your case.
If you do not pay your Council Tax in accordance with your instalments whilst your appeal is being dealt with, further recovery action may be taken.
If your Council Tax band is reduced, any overpayment will be refunded to you.
Extensions to the property and Council Tax bands
If you make any structural changes to your property, you are not penalised for doing so and the banding of your property will remain the same. If you then sell the property, the banding will be reconsidered. The new owner/s will be liable for any banding change from the date of purchase.