1991 Value Estimator
Your council tax band was set on what your home was worth on 1 April 1991 in England, or 1 April 2003 in Wales — not on what it is worth now. Work today’s value (or an old sale price) back to that date with the regional house price index, and see which band it lands in.
English bands on 1991 values
England has never been revalued: the bands still rest on 1 April 1991 values, A to H.
| Band | Value on 1 April 1991 |
|---|---|
| Band A | Up to £40,000 |
| Band B | £40,001 – £52,000 |
| Band C | £52,001 – £68,000 |
| Band D | £68,001 – £88,000 |
| Band E | £88,001 – £120,000 |
| Band F | £120,001 – £160,000 |
| Band G | £160,001 – £320,000 |
| Band H | Over £320,000 |
Source: s.5(2) Local Government Finance Act 1992, as published at gov.uk/council-tax-bands. Wales uses a different table (A–I on 2003 values).
How the back-cast works
- Find the region. Your postcode area maps to one of the nine English regions, or to Wales. Each has its own house-price history, which is why a London flat and a Durham terrace cannot share a multiplier.
- Take the regional growth factor. The ratio of the region’s average price now to its average price at the valuation date, from HM Land Registry’s UK House Price Index (figures as at 2026-05). The regional series for the South East, East of England, West Midlands, North West and North East begin in January 1995, so those are bridged with the England-wide April 1991 to January 1995 ratio.
- Divide. Today’s value ÷ the factor = the valuation-date value. For a past sale, only the growth between that sale and today is unwound, so a 2010 purchase gets a smaller multiplier than a 2026 valuation.
- Look up the band. The statutory thresholds above do the rest.
Where it goes wrong
A regional index says nothing about your particular home. If it has been extended since 1991 the comparison breaks entirely — improvements are only reflected in the band when the property is next sold. Flats and houses have not moved in step either. And a figure that lands within a few thousand pounds of a threshold is inside the method’s own error bar.
Sources
- Regional averages: UK House Price Index (HM Land Registry, Open Government Licence), figures as at 2026-05.
- Band thresholds: s.5(2) Local Government Finance Act 1992; Council Tax (Valuation Bands) (Wales) Order 2003.
- What evidence the VOA accepts: gov.uk/challenge-council-tax-band/evidence-for-your-challenge.
The rest of the council tax tools
- Council tax band checkerThe full two-gate check: your neighbours’ bands and your own valuation-date value, with a verdict.
- Refund calculatorWhat a wrong band has cost you a year, and how far back a correction would be repaid.
- Council tax by bandEvery band for your council, yearly and monthly, with the bill for one band lower.
Before you challenge anything
Challenging is free. You do it yourself on GOV.UK, at gov.uk/challenge-council-tax-band. Nobody has to pay anyone to submit a challenge.
Bands can go up as well as down. The Valuation Office Agency can raise your band, and can look at neighbouring homes while it is there. Of the 39,590 challenges the VOA resolved in 2023-24, 27% ended in a reduction, 65% in no change and under 1% in an increase. By route, 19% of formal proposals and 41% of band reviews changed a band. That is why the checker insists on two independent checks before it calls a case strong.
CourtPilot is independent. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting for the Valuation Office Agency, HMRC, the Welsh Government or any council. These tools are information, not legal or financial advice.
Want the evidence pack, the right-route decision and help with the VOA’s reply? That is the Council Tax Band Challenge — but run the free checker first, because it will tell you plainly if you do not have a case.