DocMuse is a private, paid service run by The Muse Technology EOOD (Bulgaria). It is not a UK government website and is not connected with GOV.UK, HM Courts & Tribunals Service or any other public body. It is not a law firm and is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or any other legal regulator, so the Legal Ombudsman cannot consider complaints about it; its documents are not legal advice.
Council tax appeal to the council about liability or the amount charged (England and Wales)
England and Wales · in English
€2.00Fill it in online free — pay only to download
14 questions · about 6 min
Made for use in England and Wales
Fill in the form
Your answers stay on this device for 7 days, or until you clear them.
- Instant download after payment
- Backup link emailed to you
- No account needed
For a person in England or Wales who disputes a council tax decision — that they are liable for a property, the amount charged, a refused discount or exemption, or that the property is chargeable at all: the written notice to the council that section 16 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 requires before any appeal to the Valuation Tribunal for England or for Wales. The council has two months to answer. Keep paying meanwhile. Sent first class.
- Made for use in England and Wales
- Last updated October 28, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- Your council in England has billed you for a home you moved out of months ago.
- The council refused your single person discount and you disagree with the decision.
- Your council tax bill covers a period when the property was empty and being rebuilt.
- You want to appeal to the council in Wales about your bill before going to the valuation tribunal.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Sender
- Sender's address
- Town or city
- Sender's postcode
- Date
- Council and department (e.g. Leeds City Council, Council Tax)
- Council's postal address, as on your bill (town, then postcode on the last line)
- Council tax account number (on your bill)
- The decision you disagree with
- Date of the bill or letter
- Address of the property
- Period concerned (e.g. 1 April 2026 onwards)
- Your reasons (dates, who lived there, facts and evidence)
- Tribunal for the property's country (England or Wales)
Common questions
- How do I appeal against a council tax bill in England or Wales?
- First write to the council, as this letter does: the law requires the council to have your written notice before a tribunal appeal. The council has two months to answer. If it disagrees, you can appeal free to the Valuation Tribunal for England or the Valuation Tribunal for Wales within two months of its answer, or within four months of your notice if it does not answer. A dispute about your band goes to the Valuation Office instead.
- What can the valuation tribunal decide about council tax, and what can it not?
- It can decide whether you are liable for a property, whether the property is chargeable or exempt, and whether a discount or the amount was worked out correctly. It does not deal with complaints about how the council collects the debt, such as reminders, summonses or bailiffs; those go to the council's complaints procedure and then to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman in England or the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.
- Do I have to keep paying council tax while my appeal is decided?
- Yes. An appeal does not pause the bill, so keep paying the instalments. If you stop, the council can start recovery action, which can lead to a liability order from the magistrates' court and extra costs, even though your appeal is still open. If the appeal succeeds, the council refunds or credits what you overpaid.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
Related documents
- Request to the council for a council tax discount or exemption (England and Wales)
For a council taxpayer in England or Wales: a letter to the council asking for the single person discount (25% off when you are the only adult at home), a discount because the other adults are disregarded, such as full-time students, or an exemption, from a date you give, with any backdating and refund. Most councils have a free online form that does the same; this letter suits those who prefer writing or have a case the form does not fit. Sent first class.
- Council tax band challenge: statement of evidence (England and Wales)
For a council taxpayer in England or Wales who thinks their home is in the wrong band: a signed statement of your evidence — why the band is wrong, and the addresses and bands of similar homes nearby — to upload or send with your challenge through the Valuation Office's free service on GOV.UK. A formal challenge is open if you became the taxpayer, or the Valuation Office changed the band, in the last six months, or if a change has affected the home; otherwise you can ask for a review. The band can go up as well as down. Keep paying your bill meanwhile.
- Appeal to HMRC against a penalty or a tax decision (UK)
For a taxpayer anywhere in the UK with a penalty or decision from HM Revenue and Customs on income tax, Capital Gains Tax or Corporation Tax that they think is wrong — a late filing or late payment penalty with a reasonable excuse, a Making Tax Digital penalty, another decision: a written appeal to HMRC within 30 days of the date of the notice, giving your grounds and asking for a review or the tribunal route. For Self Assessment penalties, HMRC's online service and form SA370 are free and do the same. For VAT, the decision letter gives a different route. Sent first class.
- Appeal against a refused flexible working request (Great Britain)
For an employee in England, Wales or Scotland whose statutory request for flexible working has been turned down: a letter appealing against the decision, giving your grounds — a reason outside the eight the law allows, wrong facts, no real consultation — and any alternative you would accept, asking for an appeal meeting with a companion. The whole decision, appeal included, must be made within two months of the request unless you agree longer. Hand it in and email it.
- Letter asking HMRC to let you pay a tax bill in instalments (UK)
For a taxpayer in the UK who cannot pay a tax bill in full on time: a letter to HM Revenue and Customs asking for a Time to Pay arrangement, saying what is owed, why you cannot pay it all now, the monthly amount you propose and your income and outgoings. HMRC's free online service takes a Self Assessment debt of £30,000 or less within 60 days of the due date (HMRC's own limits on 28 October 2026, not law); otherwise HMRC deals with it by phone, and this letter sets out your proposal in writing. Sent first class.
- Appeal against a refused school place (England)
For a parent in England whose child has been refused a place at a school they applied for, in the normal admissions round or during the school year. An appeal under section 94 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 and the School Admission Appeals Code 2022, to the clerk of the independent appeal panel: it identifies the decision, sets out your grounds, asks for the place and for the hearing papers in good time. Posted first class, with the decision letter and your evidence; many councils also take appeals online.