United Kingdom

UK property tax help

The UK has two property taxes worth checking: the annual Council Tax, where a large number of homes sit in the wrong band because valuations are frozen to 1991 (2003 in Wales); and the one-off tax you pay when you buy, which goes by a different name and a different set of rules in each nation. We help with both — flat fee, and you keep 100% of any refund.

One purchase, three tax regimes

The tax you pay on buying a home depends on where in the UK it is. This is the single most common source of confusion for buyers — and for the solicitors who file the return.

Nation(s)TaxCollected byRefund check
England & Northern IrelandStamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)Check SDLT
ScotlandLand and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT)Revenue ScotlandCheck LBTT
WalesLand Transaction Tax (LTT)Welsh Revenue Authority (WRA)Check LTT

Council Tax bands by nation

Bands are ranges of what a property was worth on the valuation date — not today. Because England and Scotland are frozen to 1991 values and Wales to 2003, the ranges look nothing like current prices, which is why band errors are so hard for homeowners to spot.

England

Valued at 1 April 1991 · set by Valuation Office Agency (VOA)

BandValue range (1991)Charge vs Band D
A£0 – £40,0006/9
B£40,000 – £52,0007/9
C£52,000 – £68,0008/9
D£68,000 – £88,0009/9
E£88,000 – £120,00011/9
F£120,000 – £160,00013/9
G£160,000 – £320,00015/9
H£320,000+18/9

England has never revalued: every band still reflects what the home would have sold for on 1 April 1991. Many 1991 valuations were done at speed from the kerbside, which is why band errors are common.

Scotland

Valued at 1 April 1991 · set by Scottish Assessors Association (SAA)

BandValue range (1991)Charge vs Band D
A£0 – £27,000240/360
B£27,000 – £35,000280/360
C£35,000 – £45,000320/360
D£45,000 – £58,000360/360
E£58,000 – £80,000473/360
F£80,000 – £106,000585/360
G£106,000 – £212,000705/360
H£212,000+882/360

Scotland also freezes bands to 1 April 1991 values, but the higher bands (E–H) carry a proportionally larger charge than in England after the 2017 reform.

Wales

Valued at 1 April 2003 · set by Valuation Office Agency (VOA)

BandValue range (2003)Charge vs Band D
A£0 – £44,0006/9
B£44,000 – £65,0007/9
C£65,000 – £91,0008/9
D£91,000 – £123,0009/9
E£123,000 – £162,00011/9
F£162,000 – £223,00013/9
G£223,000 – £324,00015/9
H£324,000 – £424,00018/9
I£424,000+21/9

Wales is the only nation that has revalued — bands reflect 1 April 2003 values and there is an extra band (I) at the top. A Welsh revaluation for 2028 has been proposed, which may change bands again.

Source & date: band value ranges and charge ratios as published by the Valuation Office Agency (England & Wales) and the Scottish Assessors Association (Scotland), 2026. The pound amount of Band D is set by each individual council and varies; the ratios above are national. Always confirm your own band and charge before challenging.

Not sure which applies to you? Start with the £4.99 Council Tax band check — we tell you plainly whether you look over-banded.

Check my band — £4.99

Learn the terms: Council Tax band · VOA · SDLT