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Valuation Tribunal Service

The Valuation Tribunal Service

The Valuation Tribunal Service (VTS) was created as a corporate body by the Local Government Act 2003 and formally established as a non-departmental public body on 1 April 2004.  It is sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

The VTS Board comprises a Chairman and members appointed by the Secretary of State.   The majority of Board members must be members of the panel of persons who act as Chairmen of the Valuation Tribunal for England. The Board also includes the President of the Valuation Tribunal for England, Professor Grahame Zellick.

The Chairman of the VTS is Anne Galbraith CBE. The Board is supported by an Audit Committee, a Finance Committee and a Remuneration Committee.

The VTS appoints a Chief Executive with the consent of the Secretary of State. Tony Masella has been Chief Executive since 2 July 2009. There are currently 90 staff, mostly based in London and Doncaster, with some home based workers.

The VTS has the following functions in providing or arranging the services required for the operation of the Valuation Tribunal for England: accommodation; staff (including clerks to tribunals); information technology; equipment; training for members and staff of tribunals; provision of general advice about procedures relating to proceedings before tribunals.

The VTS works in accordance with a corporate governance framework and requirements laid down by its sponsoring department.

The Valuation Tribunal is the name that includes the judicial and administrative parts of the service. The judicial part is a statutory body called the Valuation Tribunal for England (VTE), which is supported by the administrative part, also a statutory body, the Valuation Tribunal Service (VTS).

The Valuation Tribunal is an independent appeals body for citizens to use freely, allowing them to challenge decisions of the VOA, councils and drainage boards in matters of valuation and liability for council tax and non-domestic (business) rates.  Appeals arise when the Valuation Office Agency or the council do not agree with a ratepayer or council taxpayer’s contention and the taxpayer or ratepayer is not satisfied.

The Valuation Tribunal is resourced from public funding (allocated from Parliament’s Public Spending Review). It provides a free service; it cannot award costs.  However, appellants have to meet their own costs in going to the tribunal hearing.  They can represent themselves or have someone to speak for them, or can submit their case and evidence in writing.

For more information about the Valuation Tribunal go to http://www.valuationtribunal.gov.uk

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