THE looming council tax revaluation will mean "soaring bills" for residents who have carried out home improvements, Leominster MP Bill Wiggin claimed.
He said the Government was controversially spending more than £100 million on re-assessing the value of every home in England for council tax purposes and revised bills would be issued in 2007.
"Government inspectors will be able to enter people's homes, and will take into account the number of bathrooms and bedrooms, off-street parking, sheds and out-buildings, conservatories and the size of the garden when assessing the value of the property," said Mr Wiggin.
"This means that residents who have invested in home improvements could be moved up one or more council tax bands. Moving up a band will mean a council tax hike of an average £270 a year."
Mr Wiggin said families and pensioners had already faced "punishing hikes" in council tax. He was calling on the Government to cancel its plans for this "expensive and unnecessary stealth tax".
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