THE Valuations Office Agency (VOA) rubbished Mr Henry’s claims that he could have a recently-reduced band put back up.
A spokesman said: “It doesn’t work like that.
“If the VOA has made a decision they won’t go back on it unless there is fresh evidence or big changes have been made to the property.
“We have a duty to ensure the public is paying the correct amount.”
In a statement a spokesman added: “The VOA has responsibility for correcting any inaccurate council tax bands when they are brought to our attention.
“If a taxpayer believes they are in the wrong band then all they have to do is contact us and we will review the banding – this service is free.
“If we agree that a band is inaccurate then we will change it.
“The VOA does not benefit financially from any council tax banding increases where they occur.”
The statement added: “While we cannot comment on individual cases, the VOA recently published advice for customers of Reband UK Ltd on our website.
“In addition, if a taxpayer has a complaint about the activities of an agent they can contact their local Trading Standards Service for advice.
“Local councils (billing authorities) set council tax rates based on the valuations we provide.
“While the band of the taxpayer or neighbouring properties could go up or down, any increase would only take effect from the day the band review was complete, whereas band reductions can be backdated.
“The VOA has also published information advising taxpayers to be wary of giving money or bank details to cold callers.”
