GOV.UK news page first published

The functions of the Valuation Office Agency will be integrated into HM Revenue and Customs on 1 April 2026, and the VOA will no longer exist as an executive agency, HMRC and the VOA said in an announcement first published on 12 March 2026¹. The page was updated on 19 March 2026 to add a Welsh translation¹.

The two bodies said the change will not affect the delivery of core or statutory services, naming business rates valuation checks and challenges, Council Tax band challenges, and the work carried out by rent officers¹.

The customer helpline number will stay the same and the online contact form will remain available¹. Where a customer is in contact with a caseworker, that caseworker's email address will change to @hmrc.gov.uk, and they will continue to receive emails sent to their old VOA address¹. For commercial clients working with the District Valuer Services team, the announcement states there will be no change to the service provided¹.

The announcement also covers scam contact. It says scammers often pay attention to current affairs and changes, and that an increase in suspicious activity is typically seen when business rates and Council Tax bills are sent out¹. It states that where the agency contacts someone about a specific property it will always mention the address, give a reference number and verify identity, and that it will never contact someone without mentioning an address, ask for money without a clear explanation, or tell someone what they owe for business rates or Council Tax¹. Suspected contact can be reported to HMRC¹.

Why it matters for households

The VOA handles valuations that sit behind Council Tax bands in England and Wales, and business rates valuations in England, so the body that answers band challenges and business rates checks changes on 1 April 2026¹. From that date, correspondence about an existing case will come from the Valuation Office within HMRC rather than from the VOA as a separate agency¹. The practical contact details households and businesses use are largely unchanged: the helpline number stays the same and the online contact form remains available¹. The one visible difference for anyone dealing with a named caseworker is the email domain, which moves to @hmrc.gov.uk, although emails sent to the old VOA address will still be received¹. The announcement does not set out any change to how Council Tax bands or business rates valuations are assessed, and no change to the timing of bills has been reported¹.

What happens next

The integration takes effect on 1 April 2026, when the VOA ceases to exist as an executive agency and its functions sit within HMRC¹. The announcement states that existing cases will continue to be progressed and that communications after that date will come from the Valuation Office within HMRC¹. No further steps or dates beyond 1 April 2026 have been reported¹.