Wokingham residents warned to avoid companies offering council tax reduction

Wokingham Borough Council is warning residents to be wary after discovering council tax reduction companies are distributing letters in the Wokingham Borough offering residents potential council tax reductions.

Some residents have received letters, addressed purely to the household, stating that the company has ‘identified that their property is likely to be in the incorrect council tax band’ and offering reductions of around £300 per year as well as a lump sum from when they moved into the property, or from 1993 when council tax banding was introduced.

However, these companies charge a fee of around 30% + VAT for something that residents can investigate themselves – for free.

Although the service these companies are offering is not illegal, it is just as simple for residents to carry out the process themselves by contacting the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) on 03000 503 600 or by visiting the VOA website where full details on how to challenge council tax bands are available.

If any residents are concerned by unsolicited letters or phone calls, they should contact Wokingham Direct on (0118) 974 6000 or West Berkshire and Wokingham trading standards on (0118) 974 6400.