What Do You Need to Do?

Skylite Group business rates specialist provides you with a list of five things you need to be doing in light of these changes.

• Complete the Online Request for Rent and Lease Details

  If you pay business rates, you should have already received paperwork asking for more information in order to ascertain the rateable value of your property. You MUST respond to this document, as failure to do so could land you with a fine. Get in touch if you need help with these forms.

• “Check” Your Rateable Value

  The first step is the “check” process, which establishes if all the factual details including the floor areas, tenure details and rent the valuation office hold on file are correct. The valuation office then has 12 months to conclude the check, with fines payable for providing false information.

• Challenge Your Business Rates Assessment

  If the valuation office is still of the opinion that the assessment is correct following the check stage, an application to challenge the rateable value must be completed within four months of the end of the check process. Instead of being able to state briefly why the rateable value could be wrong as before, the ratepayer must now provide their own valuation supported by rental evidence, a complete argument to justify the appeal and, if necessary, supported by relevant case law and legislation. The valuation office has 18 months in which to consider the information contained in the challenge stage. If no resolution is reached it will then progress to the third stage: the appeal.

• Appeal to the Valuation Tribunal

  An appeal to the valuation tribunal must be made within four months of the valuation office issuing the decision notice at the end of the challenge stage. The rental evidence and basis of argument against the level of assessment issued to the valuation office during the challenge stage is the only information which can be used at the valuation Tribunal hearing. It is therefore vital the submission is correct at the challenge stage.

Skylite Group’s surveyors provide a business rates advice service to help you to review and challenge your commercial property rateable value if it has been incorrectly calculated. Businesses NEED TO ACT NOW to challenge their business rates.

We offer a NO WIN/NO FEE arrangement where we take on your case at no cost to yourself. ACT TODAY and call us for your FREE initial consultation.