Business rates brief guide to recovery
Paying on time
Allow up to seven days for payments to reach us by the due date.
If you don’t pay on time, we will send you a Reminder and Final Notice.
If you receive a Reminder and Final Notice and are unable to pay, contact the business rates team immediately to agree a suitable payment arrangement.
When a summons is issued
If the payment is not brought up to date or we do not hear from you, you will lose your right to pay by instalments and you will be sent a summons. You will incur costs and charges of £93 as a result of this course of action.
Unless the summons is served incorrectly, we will not normally withdraw it.
If you receive a summons and are unable to pay, contact the business rates team immediately to agree a suitable payment arrangement.
Court hearings
At the court hearing, which you have a right to attend, we will apply for a Liability Order which will give us additional powers to collect the money you owe.
If we obtain a Liability Order and all other attempts to reach a payment arrangement fail, we will pass the debt to our enforcement agents.
You will incur further costs and charges of £45 as a result of this.
If the enforcement agents are unsuccessful, we can apply to the Magistrates Court for committal proceedings or commence proceedings to make you bankrupt or liquidate your company.
As a result of either of these courses of action, further costs and charges will be incurred.
Fee structure for enforcement agents
From 6 April 2014, a new fee structure for enforcement came into effect. This change has been brought about by changes to the Regulations and applies to all local authorities.
Consequently, if you do not pay your Business Rates you will incur substantially more costs.
| Stage | Fixed fee | Percentage fee | Trigger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance Fee | £75.00 | 0% | Enforcement agent receives instruction |
| Enforcement | £235.00 | 7.5% of debt >£1,500 | First attendance to relevant property |
| Sale | £110.00 | 7.5% of debt >£1,500 | First attendance for purpose of transporting goods to place of sale |
Remember, if you are unable to pay please contact the business rates team straight away.