You can appeal to us if you disagree with any decision relating to liability, discounts, reductions for disabilities, or exemptions if you are:
- the person liable to pay the Council Tax for the dwelling
- the person who would be liable if the dwelling were not exempt
- the owner of the dwelling
Appeals cannot be made on the amount that has been set for the Council Tax or on grounds of inability to pay.
A person making an appeal is legally obliged to pay the bill as it stands pending the outcome of the appeal.
You cannot use this appeal process for a court summons or for the costs incurred by the court process, or about the Council getting a liability order against you. Any such appeal must be made to our Recovery Team by emailing recovery@oxford.gov.uk or calling 01865 252856. If the matter still remains unresolved by the court hearing date then you may attend the Magistrates Court and raise the matter before the Magistrates.
Should you make an appeal to us about a court matter then this cannot be treated as an appeal and will be sent to our Recovery Team for a reply.
Appeal process
There are 3 stages to the appeal process:
- Depending on what you are appealing against, you can appeal to either the Listing Officer or us.
- If you are still not satisfied then you can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal. This is an independent body which is set up to hear Council Tax, Community Charge and Rating appeals. The appeals are usually dealt with at an informal hearing which would be attended by you (the person making the appeal) and either us or the Listing Officer.
- If you are still not satisfied then you can appeal to the High Court on a point of law.
Make an appeal
You can also appeal in writing to us. You should mark your letter clearly as an appeal.
Time limits
We have two months in which to consider your Appeal.
If we do not respond to your Appeal within two months, you can appeal directly to the Valuation Tribunal. You should apply to the Tribunal within four months of making your original appeal to us.
If you disagree with the response from us to your appeal you can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal within two months of being notified of our decision.
Council Tax Banding appeals
Appeals against Council Tax bandings are not dealt with by Oxford City Council. If you wish to challenge the banding of your property then you will need to contact the Valuation Office Agency. You can contact the VOA using details on the GOV.UK website. If you are unable to use the online service you can also contact the VOA on 03000 501501.
For more information on the process for challenging your Council Tax band to the Valuation Office Agency, please visit the Challenge your Council Tax band page on GOV.UK.
