The rateable value of your property determines the rates payable on your property but unfortunately these figures are rarely accurate. So, it makes sense to do whatever you can to reduce the rateable value if you want to reduce the rates payable.

This makes sense in a lot of cases but there are times when trying to reduce the rateable value won't have such a great affect as going directly after the rates payable will.

For example, if you have

  • Vacant properties
  • Roadworks affecting trade

Government Gateway Registration Process

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Step 1

Register for the government gateway service.

You will be required to register with your personal contact details which will include N.I. Number, passport, P60, Payslip details, home address etc. This information is used for verification purposes only but an account can not be opened without it.

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Step 2

Register Your Business

For this, you will need to register the company's registered address.

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Step 3

Claim your property

After you have registered you will need to claim your property before you can submit a check or challenge. You need to provide the VOA with proof of your relationship to the property (such as a copy of the business rates or utility bill) before they can send you a detailed valuation.

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Step 4

Authorise your agent

Once you have identified and claimed your property you can then invite your agent to act. To do this you will need to input our unique agent code which is 101100.

Rating Audit Service

We have a team of dedicated forensic auditors that work tirelessly to ensure that your claim is successful in obtaining any refunds/ credits that are owed to you. Business rates bills can be very complex in the way they are calculated and because of this, your local authority could be overcharging you and may have been doing so for some time. Our team will be able to establish if you have been overcharged and will work to claim back any historical over payment for you as well as current bills.

Errors on rating bills can occur historically for several reasons and will almost always be previously undetected by the ratepayer, below are some examples.

  • iconsFailure to process rateable value reductions.
  • iconsFailure to apply charitable relief.
  • iconsLocal discretionary allowances not awarded.
  • iconsRural relief not granted.
  • iconsMaterial change in circumstances not considered.
  • iconsTransitional certificates not applied.
  • iconsUnclaimed credit balances.
  • iconsWe can even claim back refunds from properties that you no longer occupy in some cases.

Rent Review Service

When it comes time to review your rental agreement, securing the best deal for you and your business will all come down to interpreting the lease terms correctly in the first place and incorporating accurate market information from analysed rents of comparable properties.

Our expert team of professional Surveyors with detailed local market knowledge can help negotiate the best result for you at rent review. The landlord can retrospectively trigger rent review proceedings and, dependent on the terms of the lease, will likely be able to apply interest charges to backdated rental increases.

It is paramount to have a full understanding of market trends and rental evidence as well as sound knowledge of case law and current legislation to ensure the best possible outcome for our clients.

If the parties are not able to agree by negotiation, our Surveyors are well placed to act as Expert Witnesses and make written representations to an Arbitrator or Independent Expert.

we do not work for landlords on rent reviews and lease renewals, ensuring there is no conflict of interest. We are results focused so you can be assured we will always strive to achieve the best possible outcome for you.

Rating Appeal Process

The new check, challenge, appeal system is now in place but it has many shortcomings which is deterring many businesses from appealing their rateable value.

New rateable values for all non-domestic properties in England, Wales and Scotland came into force on 1 April 2017. This was the first rating revaluation for 7 years and has seen some significant changes in rateable values, reflecting changes in the property market over that period.

Any contesting of these rating list entries in England will have to be done through a new system known as 'Check, Challenge, Appeal.' This replaces the former system of making a proposal to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to alter the rating list if this was not agreed, then it was automatically referred to the Valuation Tribunal for England(VTE) as an appeal. This system will continue, for the time being at least, in Wales, while in Scotland the previous appeal arrangements will also continue, pending a full review of the rating process now being undertaken.

In order to progress with your business rates appeal, we require a number of documents for each site. The checklist below outlines what you need to provide to CPA Ltd to help us achieve the best possible outcome for you.

  • iconsA copy of your current rates bill
  • iconsYour occupancy/liability date
  • iconsA copy of your rent invoice and rent amount
  • iconsA copy of your lease (if your property is leasehold)
  • iconsHistorical rates bills may also be of use to our Surveyors to aid the appeal
  • iconsGovernment Gateway access details

The Check stage sees the business ratepayer or agent confirming the specifics of the property and the physical facts that the Valuation Office have relied on in reaching their valuation. It is hoped that a large majority of cases will be resolved at this stage. This stage requires the Valuation Office and the ratepayer or agent to validate relevant facts, such as floor area, and agree so far as it is possible to do so.

The ratepayer cannot proceed to the Challenge stage until the Check has been completed - the intention being a property can remain in Check stage for up to 12 months although it is hoped that the majority of these cases can be resolved within 3 months.

The challenge stage must be instigated by the ratepayer or the agent within four months of concluding the check stage.

The business ratepayer or agent must prepare a valid case outlining why the valuation is incorrect. It must also include the grounds for the challenge, the reasons for the challenge and any evidence to support the claim.

Once the decision notice from the challenge has been received, the ratepayer or agent will then have a further four months to decide whether to lodge an appeal or not, although it is anticipated that the majority of cases will come to a satisfactory conclusion during the check and challenge process. A fee of €300 will be charged at the appeal stage.