This booklet explains the work carried out by the Valuation Office Agency for council tax and sets out the standards we seek to achieve.
Our service standards take into account the views of customers who take part in our annual surveys.
If you require this booklet in an alternative format please contact your local Valuation Office.
Introducing the Valuation Office Agency
The Valuation Office Agency is an Executive Agency of HM Revenue and Customs. We are responsible for:
- the council tax bands in Wales and England
- the rating assessments of all non-domestic property in Wales and England
- valuations of land and property for capital gains tax and inheritance tax
- Right to Buy determinations in Wales, England, and Scotland.
We also carry out valuations for other government departments and some local authorities.
Information is available at all our offices explaining these areas of work and the standards of service provided. Our offices are listed in the telephone directory under ‘Valuation Office Agency’. As directories are updated, the entries will appear under 'Valuation Office' for England and Wales and 'District Valuer' for Scotland. Further information about the Valuation Office Agency can be found on our website at:
www.voa.gov.uk
This booklet is about council tax
The Valuation Office Agency is the government organisation responsible for allocating a council tax band to all domestic properties in Wales and England. The Valuation Office Agency is also responsible for compiling and maintaining the list of council tax bandings.
The local valuation office keeps a valuation list showing the council tax band of all properties in their area. You can look at this if you want to see how your band compares with other properties in your area. You can also view this information on our website at www.voa.gov.uk.
The council tax band relates to what your home would have been worth at 1 April 2003, not the current value. It is used by the local authority to decide how much council tax each occupier must pay.
The local authority tells us when there are changes to a property, which might trigger an alteration to the banding, or when it becomes a domestic property for the first time. Sometimes we have to visit the property to decide which valuation band is appropriate.
We will tell the local authority when we alter the council tax band of a property or when we band a property for the first time. The council taxpayer will also receive notice of the change. The local authority will work out the amount of council tax you should pay. Any query about the bill should be made to the local authority.
Our aims are to:
- provide a fair, prompt and helpful service to our customers
- be impartial in our assessment of value
- provide an efficient and value for money service
- secure a sound and fair tax base
Our commitment to you
We think that meeting your needs is important. We will do this by:
- giving you the best possible service
- providing helpful and impartial advice
- helping you to understand your rights and obligations
- treating everyone fairly by banding all properties impartially
If we need more information about your property we may send you a questionnaire to complete and return. You should bear in mind, however, that the banding of your property will not be increased to reflect any improvements you have carried out after 1 April 2005 until the property is sold or there is a wider revaluation.
If we need to see inside your property we will:
give you 7 days’ notice wherever possible
- contact you to arrange a convenient appointment
- be punctual in keeping the appointment. You can help us by letting us know in advance if you are unable to keep the appointment
- carry identity cards
- tell you within 2 months of our visit about
- any alteration to your council tax band we propose to make
- whether we think the existing banding is correct and no change need be made
- the banding we will allocate to a new property
If at any time you are unhappy about your banding we will:
- write and tell you about your right to appeal against any banding made and how you do this
- explain the basic principles of council tax and how we arrived at your banding
- tell you whether you are in a position to make a valid appeal against your banding and how you do this
- review the banding even if you are unable to make a valid appeal
If you decide to make an appeal we will:
- send you an acknowledgement of an appeal within 10 working days of its receipt
- - put your appeal to a timetable called a ‘programme’ which will tell you when your appeal will be discussed with you
- tell you the dates during which we will be able to discuss your appeal with you
- tell the valuation tribunal about your appeal so that if we are unable to reach an agreement with you about your banding, they will hear your case, thus ensuring that your interests are protected
- aim to agree the proper band for your property by discussing any sales information with you or your appointed representative. We will listen to your views and explain ours. We will talk to you about your reasons for appealing We may be able to reach a decision without the need for discussion with you, however, if we have already dealt with an enquiry on a property which is similar to yours.
If the matter cannot be resolved by agreement about your banding with you we will:
- give you or your appointed representative a copy of any sales information we intend to use 7 days before the valuation tribunal hearing
NB The valuation tribunal is independent of the Valuation Office Agency and the hearing is informal.
If you call to see us at our office:
- we will see you within 5 minutes when you call at the local office which deals with your affairs
- we will wear name badges
- we aim to answer your questions fully. If we cannot do this we will arrange to phone you, or write to you if you prefer, when we have found out all the facts
- our reception offices are open 9.00am to 4.00pm Monday to Friday
If you telephone us:
- our experienced staff will answer your telephone enquiries promptly and politely
- we aim to answer your calls within an overall average of 10 seconds
- when we answer the telephone we will give our name
- we aim to answer your questions straight away. If we cannot do so, we promise to put you through to someone who can, or arrange to call you back within 48 hours. Or if you prefer, we will write to you.
If you write to us:
- we aim to write and acknowledge your letter within 5 working days of receiving it
- we aim to answer all your questions in clear plain language within 15 working days. We expect to achieve this for 90% of all letters we receive and within a further 5 days for the remaining 10%. If we do not have all the facts there may sometimes be a delay. We will write to you and tell you if this is the case.
- you can help us by giving accurate and full answers to our questions and telling us how we can be of more help to you.
- We will check to see if we are meeting our aims and publish the results in our Annual Report.
If English is not your first language
Welsh - we are committed to a bilingual policy. We have Welsh speaking staff in almost all our offices in Wales. We can write to you in Welsh if you prefer. We produce a number of booklets and forms in both languages.
Other languages - If you write to us in the language you prefer we will answer in the same language; and if you would like to talk to us, we will arrange for a translator to be available by telephone link. Alternatively, you can help us if you have a friend who can act as a translator.
If you have special needs
Some people have special needs. We are fully committed to help all our customers and have introduced the following facilities:
- if you have a hearing difficulty please tell us, and we will make arrangements which most suit your particular needs. A minicom service is available - Minicom Service Countrywide: 020 7506 1809. As we also use this as a voice phone, be sure to use your voice announcer.
- if you have a sight problem we will provide information and communicate with you in a format you are able to use. We are happy to talk to you on the telephone or we can arrange to visit you at your home. If we need to write to you we can do so in large print or Braille or we can enclose a copy of the letter on audio tape. If you let us know your preference we will communicate with you in that way.
- if you would prefer to be visited at home because you have special needs please let us know and we will arrange a convenient time
Consulting our customers
We believe it is important to ask you about the standard of service we provide and the kind of improvements you want. We carry out regular customer satisfaction surveys, and we look at and act on the information we receive. Additionally we meet groups of customers to give them information and find out what they want so that we can improve our service.
Our performance
We publish our performance against our main targets each year in the Agency's Annual Report. We will be happy to give you a copy of our latest results. You can get these by contacting any local office.
What if things go wrong?
We welcome your comments and complaints as they provide valuable feedback on the service we have provided. We are anxious to put things right if things have gone wrong and to learn the lessons from them.
If you have a complaint about the service we have provided you should write to the Group Valuation Officer at the office concerned who will look into the matter. We will do our best to put things right if we have made a mistake. We will acknowledge and try to deal with your complaints within 5 days. If we need to carry out further research we will let you know and try to have completed this within 20 working days.
If you are still not happy you can write to:
The Chief Executive
Valuation Office Agency
New Court
Carey Street
London
WC2A 2JE
Telephone: 020 7506 1801
Fax: 020 7506 1996
You can send complaints and suggestions by email if you prefer at: customerservices@voa.gsi.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied after you have had a reply from the Chief Executive's Office you can ask an impartial adjudicator to look at the matter and recommend appropriate action. The Adjudicator's services are free. You should contact:
The Adjudicator’s Office
8 th Floor
Euston Tower
286 Euston Road
London
NW1 3US
Telephone: 020 7667 1832 or 0300 057 1111
Fax: 020 7667 1830 or 0300 057 1212
Website: www.adjudicatorsoffice.gov.uk
Also, if you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint or the way in which it has been handled (by ourselves or the Adjudicator) you can ask a Member of Parliament to refer your complaint to the Parliamentary Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman will accept referral from any MP but you should approach your own constituency MP first. For further information contact:
The Parliamentary Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Helpline 0845 015 4033
Fax No. 020 7217 4000
email: phso.enquiries@ombusdman.org.uk
or visit the Parliamentary Ombudsman Website (www.ombudsman.org.uk) which contains further information and guidance
A booklet called ’Putting things right for you‘ is available free at all our offices or can be viewed on our website. It explains our commitment to put things right, our standards for handling complaints and when we will make a payment to you.
Your views
We welcome your views on the aims we have set out in this Charter and on the service we provide. To do this please contact the Customer Service Manager at one of our offices or:
Head of Customer Services
Chief Executive's Office
Valuation Office Agency
New Court
Carey Street
London
WC2A 2JE
Telephone: 020 7506 1801
Fax: 020 7506 1996
email: customerservices@voa.gsi.gov.uk |
