Council tax revaluation begins

The reassessment of the value of every home in England begins today with a view to calculating new council tax payments.

The last check was carried out in 1991, before council tax was introduced. Back then, the average house cost just £73,000 compared to £190,000 today. The new charges will be introduced from 2007, but only homes that have seen their values rise by more than the national average are expected to move into a higher tax bracket.

Details of the new valuations will be published in September. London, the south-east and south-west are expected to see the largest number of homes moving up the bands. A recent re-evaluation in Wales saw nearly 60 per cent of homes remain in the same tax bracket, while about a third rose by more than expected.

The Government insists that revaluing is about updating property values, not raising more money.