Worthing Borough Council

Appeals

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Lines open 9am to 5pm - Monday to Friday
Council Tax and Business Rates: 01903 221061
Housing and Council Tax Benefit: 01903 221062

revsbens@worthing.gov.uk

Making an appeal does not confer any rights to withhold payment.  However, if your appeal is successful you will be entitled to a refund of any overpaid Council Tax.

A leaflet about appeals is available to download on the Forms & Leaflets web page.

Appeals against the Banding

The grounds for appeal about the banding of your property are restricted to the following situations

1. Where you became the taxpayer in respect of a dwelling for the first time (your appeal must be made to the Listing Officer within 6 months, but if the same appeal has already been considered and determined by a Valuation Tribunal, it cannot be made again)
2. Where you believe that the banding should be changed because there has been a material increase or material reduction in a dwelling’s value
3. Where you start or stop using part of your dwelling to carry out a business, or the balance between domestic and business use changes
4. Where the Listing Officer has altered a list without a proposal having been made by a taxpayer

The Listing Officer is an independent Officer of the Crown. Contact the Valuation Officer Agency.

Appeals against Council Tax Decisions

There are also appeal rights if you consider that you are not liable to pay Council Tax.  Examples include

• You are not the resident or owner
• The property is exempt
• You believe that the Council has made a mistake in calculating your bill

If you wish to make an appeal on these grounds you must first notify the Council Tax Section, in writing, so that we have the opportunity to reconsider the case.

What happens if you turn down my appeal?

After you have made an appeal to us and you still think that your Council Tax bill is wrong, you can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal within two months of receiving our revised decision. The address you should use is

East and West Sussex Valuation Tribunal 
Second Floor, Black Lion House
45 Whitechapel Road
London
E1 1DU

If you do not receive a reply from the Council, you may appeal to the Valuation Tribunal within four months of your written appeal to the Council.

Appeals about Discretionary Decisions

There is no automatic right of appeal against a discretionary decision of the Council (for example, the reduction in discounts on second homes).  You may only appeal against a discretionary decision by way of Judicial Review and even then only about the way the decision was made, and not the result.

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