How do you rate this?

Here is free advice to small businesses whose rates bills once again appear in the “in tray”, this time for the year from 1 April

Faced with further unsolicited calls from “rates advisers” claiming to obtain huge refunds from vastly overpriced rates assessments business owners begin to wonder if there is something in this for them!

The answer for many is yes there is and much can be done by businesses that can obtain the small business rates rebate themselves without paying someone else for the privilege of doing this for them.

This applies for all single premises with a Rateable Value (RV) of less than £10,000 or where there is a second assessment not exceeding RV £2,200 but where the total does not exceed RV £10,000  

The details

50% rates rebate payable where RV less than £5,000
Sliding scale 1% less for each additional £100 up to £10,000.
So for RV £7500 the rebate would be 25%, RV £8,500 15%, RV £9,000 10%, and so on

Businesses must claim the rebate by the 30 September in respect of the year ending 31 March 2006. A fresh application must be made for the year starting 1 April. – Bureaucracy but well worth the effort! 

Otherwise Rates are complex and should be dealt with by Valuation Surveyors with proper expertise and experience that have to operate under a professional Rating Code of Conduct

For more information click http://www.mybusinessrates.gov.uk/index.html 

This is part of a regular series of articles intended to be of topical interest. If you would like further information or add your own comments please reply to this e mail or ring Roger Nelson on 0800 902 0466