Not surprisingly there aren’t many ways to reduce the amount of council tax you have to pay however there are a few and it only takes a couple of hours to check for possible rebates. The top two ways to potentially slash the amount you have to pay are by checking your council tax band and by checking for any available discounts.

Checking your Council Tax Band
The amount of council tax you pay depends to a large extent on the ‘band’ that your home is classed as. These bands date back to when the scheme started in 1993 and a lot of people have since found that their property was initially overvalued and so placed in the wrong band. In cases where this has happened, the tenants will have been paying to much council tax for the last 16 years or since they moved into the property and if proven this money can be claimed back.

There are various ways available to check what band your property should be classed as and the easiest way is to ask your neighbours. It isn’t unusual for houses in the same street that are identical in proportions and looks to be classed in different bands and if yours is in the higher band you’ll be paying more than your neighbours. If you don’t want to ask your neighbours though then you can always call your local listings officer and check the band of your home. Thousands of people have already done this and dropped their council tax band within minutes.

A drop from your present council tax band to the lower band can save you up to £200 each year which is nothing to be sniffed at. You can then also claim back anything you’ve paid above what you should have paid for the years that you’ve lived in the house and thousands of people have been awarded thousands of pounds for doing just this. It only takes a phone call.

Checking for unclaimed discounts
Even though the council tax scheme has been running for over 15 years, some people still don’t know about the plethora of discounts and exemptions that exist. Council tax benefits are well worth looking into as you may be entitled to a discount you don’t know about. For example, a lot of people have never heard of the ‘second adult rebate’ that can be claimed when the second adult within a property can’t afford to pay their half of the bill. This rebate can bring your council tax bill down considerably and all it takes is a short application form.

Even if you don’t think you qualify for rebates and discounts it is still worth asking as you never know what’s available in the system. Make an appointment with the council tax advisor at your local council offices or alternatively call into the CAB as they can offer advice on potential discounts as well. Don’t miss out on the chance to reduce your council tax bill as it is only projected to go up again this year.