For those of you who pay business rates: a large percentage of commercial and industrial premises are significantly overrated, and often can get reductions of 10 to 20 percent without much effort, and sometimes even more.
Once approved, you can also get restitution of what you have paid too much up to 5 years back.
Do NOT ask the council; they will tell you it is correct because they are instructed by the valuation office to collect an X amount.
The Valuation Office decide how much you pay.
Doing your own appeal is like doing your income tax; it can be done, but a good professional will get you more reduction and a bad one can cost you.
The basics are not particularly difficult, but the logic behind it is decidedly warped. Something along the lines of the average of specifics being specified and than worked out to an average price per square metre.
Imagine something like determining the price of your house by working out the average price of a house in your town divided by the average floor surface, multiplied by the amount of square metres of your house.
Then there is a whole lot of reduction allowances.
The main reason for being over rated, is that your business rates are based on that average, and as an average, your rates obviously hardly ever get the reduction apply to your specific building.
Never pay anyone money up front "to get the paperwork started"
Any bonafide company should be happy to work on a percentage or fixed fee, after the reduction is obtained.
Getting a reassessment done by the valuation officer is like getting help from the tax office filling out your return form; the chances that they will be dishonest are pretty small, about as small as you getting a reduction from them.
Once approved, you can also get restitution of what you have paid too much up to 5 years back.
Do NOT ask the council; they will tell you it is correct because they are instructed by the valuation office to collect an X amount.
The Valuation Office decide how much you pay.
Doing your own appeal is like doing your income tax; it can be done, but a good professional will get you more reduction and a bad one can cost you.
The basics are not particularly difficult, but the logic behind it is decidedly warped. Something along the lines of the average of specifics being specified and than worked out to an average price per square metre.
Imagine something like determining the price of your house by working out the average price of a house in your town divided by the average floor surface, multiplied by the amount of square metres of your house.
Then there is a whole lot of reduction allowances.
The main reason for being over rated, is that your business rates are based on that average, and as an average, your rates obviously hardly ever get the reduction apply to your specific building.
Never pay anyone money up front "to get the paperwork started"
Any bonafide company should be happy to work on a percentage or fixed fee, after the reduction is obtained.
Getting a reassessment done by the valuation officer is like getting help from the tax office filling out your return form; the chances that they will be dishonest are pretty small, about as small as you getting a reduction from them.
