Government to axe Valuation Office Agency

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA), the arm’s-length body (ALB) responsible for valuing properties for council tax and business rates, is to be scrapped, the Government has announced.

The majority of the VOA’s functions will be brought into its parent department, HM Revenue & Customs, by April 2026.

The move is the latest step in the Cabinet Office’s review of every ALB or quango across government, with a view to close, merge or bring functions back into departments if its continued existence cannot be justified.

The Treasury claimed that the move would “improve the experience of taxpayers and businesses by cutting the time spent managing taxes and upgrading the customer experience during the transition to a reformed business rates system”.

It added that the transfer of the VOA to HMRC is expected to deliver between 5 to 10% of additional savings in VOA administrative costs by 2028-29.

Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, James Murray, said: “We are determined to reduce the hassle of the tax system for British businesses and taxpayers. Ending the inefficiency and duplication of a standalone VOA will help us drive change faster and improve value for money."