When a Valuation Report Gets Rejected

A tax officer, a bank or a court has refused to accept your valuation. Here is why it usually happens and what to do now.

The common reasons

• The valuer was not registered. The most common and the most final. A report from an unregistered person can simply be set aside. The difference explained
• No evidence behind the number. A figure with no comparable sales, no notified rate and no working invites rejection.
• No sign of an inspection. No photographs, no measurements, nothing showing anyone actually attended.
• The wrong method. A rented shop valued by comparison alone, an industrial unit valued as if it were a house.
• Facts that do not match. Area different from the papers, boundaries wrong, a tenant not mentioned.
• Wrong format. Particularly with banks, who often require their own template.
• Out of date. Common with visa files, where a report older than a few months may not be accepted.

What to do first

Find out precisely why. "It was rejected" is not enough to act on. Ask for the reason in writing if you can. A format problem is a quick fix. An unregistered valuer means starting again.

If a tax officer disagrees with the figure

That is a different situation from rejection on procedure. An officer can refer a valuation for review by a departmental valuation officer, who forms their own view.

This is exactly why evidence matters. A report built on notified rates and real sale records is much harder to displace than one built on assertion. If you are facing this, get the report reviewed independently so you know where you actually stand before you argue.

Preventing it next time

• Confirm the registration number before you engage anyone
• Ask to see a sample report before paying
• Make sure an inspection is actually happening
• Tell the valuer the purpose clearly, so the right method and format are used
• Check your own details in the draft, especially area and boundaries