Difficulty paying Business Rates bill
It is important that you contact us immediately if you are having difficulty paying you business rates bill. Our team can discuss your situation with you as we may be able to reschedule your payments or advise you of a reduction you might be entitled to which could reduce your business rates bill.
What action can the local authority take to recover business rates?
It is never too late to talk to us. At any point during the following proceedings, it is possible to come to a sensible payment arrangement with us that will suit your circumstances.
Further notice
Failure to pay your account by the instalment date will result in the issue of a further notice. If the further notice is not paid within 7 days of receipt, after a further 7 days, we will issue a summons for bon-payment at which time the full outstanding balance will become due.
Cancellation notice
Only one further notice will be issued for business rates in a financial year. If a subsequent instalment is not received by the due date, the council will issue a cancellation notice, demanding the total balance outstanding. You must pay this amount within seven days to avoid being sent a summons.
Save yourself hundreds of pounds!
The costs of issuing a summons, with additional enforcement agent costs, can quickly mount up to hundreds of pounds on top of your debt.
Contacting us early about your debt problems can help avoid this.
Summons
If, after receiving one or both of the above notices, you do not make the payment demanded, the Council will apply to the local magistrates’ court for a summons to be issued against you and costs of £42.00 will be added to your account. At this stage, you can still make an arrangement to pay the amount due by contact the business rates team.
Liability Order
If you do not pay the balance shown on the summons before the court hearing, the matter will be taken to the magistrates’ court, and the Council will apply for a liability order. You will have the opportunity of attending the court, but this is only to determine your liability, not your ability to pay. Any questions relating to the rateable value of your property, will not be dealt with by the court. If the court grants a liability order further costs of £31.00 will be added to your account.
What powers does a liability order give the Council?
A liability order gives us powers to collect your debt using different methods such as:
- Instructing enforcement agents to visit your property with the intention of obtaining payment. They may consider removing your goods and for those goods to be sold at public auction to pay of your outstanding debt
- Starting bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings.
At each of the above stages, you will be sent more detailed information about aby action we are taking.
If you have been visited by an enforcement agent in relation to outstanding business rates bills you should in the first instance contact them directly to discuss the debt using the appropriate link below: