FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

Business Rates are a tax on property used for business purposes.
They are charged on properties such as offices, shops, pubs, and warehouses – nearly all non-domestic properties will attract Business Rates. They may also be charged where only part of a building is used for non-domestic purposes.
Business Rates are based on a Rateable Value of your property
A Rateable Value is a rental value ascribed to a commercial building based on its size, location and other factors, as at 1st April 2015, for the 2017 Rating List used to determine the rates payable by its owner.

The occupier of the property is usually the one responsible for paying business rates, and is where the bill will be addressed to.
If you rent your business premises, your rent may include Business Rates. Your Landlord is then responsible for passing on the rates money to your Local Authority. Check with your Landlord whether or not this is the case.
You are responsible for notifying the council when you move into new business premises or when you start a new business.
Your bill comes from your local council around March or April time each year.

Business Rates are calculated based on a property’s ‘Rateable Value’. The Rateable Value is a property’s estimated Rental Value on the open market. The last Revaluation, conducted by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and which came into effect on 1 April 2017, refers to Values as of 1 April 2015.
It is possible to estimate your Business Rates by multiplying your property’s Rateable Value by the relevant poundage.
The Rating List after 2021 will be updated every three years - the last one was put together in 2017. Your property's Rateable Value may change in 2021.
The multiplier is set by the Government every April 1 based upon the Consumer Price Index rate.

It’s not uncommon for Business Rates payers to believe that their Rateable Value is incorrect. If this is the case, then the Rates you are required to pay will be calculated wrongly.
First, you should check the VOA’s Rateable Value for your property you can easily do this on their website.
Factors that could lead to an incorrect valuation maybe : a 'material change' to your property or an incorrect reference scheme, age or location of your premises, has it been incorrectly split into more than one listing or combined with others into a single listing?
Material changes could also make your Business Rates wrong, these may include: new developments in the area, new roads or road closures or changes to access routes, change of use of the property for example from an office to a shop.

You should immediately contact a Rating Expert to handle the assessment of your property. A RICS Surveyor can help you do with this with ease as they have the professional capability to handle such complex matters with the Valuation Office on your behalf.

Remember: You can only appeal once on your property to the Valuation Office - it is therefore imperative that when you process your appeal to reduce your Rateable Value, that all the information required by the Valuation Office is both accurate and comprehensive; otherwise you will run the high risk of losing your appeal and you will not be able to appeal again.

Evans & Payne are RICS Chartered Surveyors and Rating Experts. We can assist you in challenging the complexities of your Business Rates.
Contact us with no obligation to see how we can help reduce your Business Rates today

Please either give us a call or simply email us and we will be happy to assist you.

020 7486 9597