20 July 2006, London

VALUATION OFFICE AGENCY DRIVES LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS TO IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has launched an initiative to improve co-operation with local authorities, to boost the service to council taxpayers and business ratepayers.

Andrew Hudson, Chief Executive of the VOA, the central government organisation responsible for putting domestic properties into council tax bands and assessing the rateable value of non-domestic properties for business rates, has written to the Chief Executives of all billing authorities in England and Wales to build top-level support for a new partnership programme.

Building on good practice already in place with some councils, the VOA is looking for earlier information about new or altered properties, so that valuations and council tax bandings can be prepared before new occupiers move in and the bills go out. This has no impact on the level of a council tax band or rating valuation, but improves the timeliness. Part of the new approach will be to enable billing authorities to send in reports on property changes electronically, to improve the speed and accuracy of the flows of information.

Commenting on the initiative, Andrew Hudson said: “This approach is a win-win-win. Local authorities will be better able to send out the right bills at the right time. Council taxpayers and ratepayers know how much they will have to pay as soon as they move in, or possibly even before. And we in the Agency can improve both our customer service and our efficiency. We look forward to working more closely with as many councils as possible.”

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Notes for Editors:

About the Valuation Office Agency

The Valuation Office Agency is an Executive Agency of Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs. It is responsible for valuing domestic properties for council tax purposes in England and Wales; the rating assessments of all business property in England and Wales; valuations of land and property for Capital Gains Tax and Inheritance Tax; and Right to Buy determinations in England, Wales and Scotland. It also carries out valuations for other government departments and some local authorities. The Valuation Office Agency has around 4500 employees and a national network of 80 offices providing service and assistance at a local level.

Further information can be found on the VOA website at www.voa.gov.uk

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