The Council Tax Charter

Our aim is to provide you with an efficient friendly and helpful service and to inform you of your rights and duties as a tax payer. Below are the service targets we have set for ourselves:

• You will receive prompt friendly and helpful attention by trained staff who will be happy to give you their name if asked.
• If you require personal advise or information, the Finance Reception on the ground floor of the new Town Hall will be open from 9.00 am to 4.30 pm. If you wish to arrange an appointment, please telephone (020) 8871 8081. If you do not have an appointment a member of staff will aim to see you within 30 minutes of your arrival at the reception desk.
• Written information and responses will be as clear and easy to follow as possible. Guidance notes on the more complicated areas will also be available on request.
• Our responses should meet the following targets:

1. All items of correspondence should be answered within ten working days.
2. Council tax refunds should be made within ten working days of receipt of the written request.
3. Details of the different payment types will be available with your bill. They will also be listed in the leaflet Easier Ways to Pay your Council Tax which you will receive with the bill.
4. We will meet the needs of our customers wherever we can. For example, we will provide an interpreting service for people who cannot speak English also home visits will be available in some cases for our elderly or disabled customers.
5. The information you give to us will be treated confidentially. Wandsworth Council has a duty to protect the public funds it administers and may use the information you have provided for the prevention and detection of fraud. We may also share this information with other organisations responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes.
6. We will respond to all complaints within ten working days of receipt.
7. We will write to you explaining the results of your complaint.
8. We will look at the pattern of complaints and suggestions and try to improve areas where there are continuing problems.