Business Rates Appeal Deadline Looms

The new 2010 rating assessments for business premises are due to take effect on 1st April 2010, at which point the right to appeal will be triggered.  However, at the same time, the right to appeal the current 2005 rating assessment will be lost.

Therefore if, as a business occupier, you have not considered appealing your current rateable value, you should act quickly.  A reduction could be backdated to 1st April 2005, resulting in a refund of 5 years rates savings. Chris Noble ACIArb FRICS and Stephen Edwards FRICS, with over 50 years of combined experience in the field, act for hundreds of commercial rate-payers in the county and beyond.  Our clients include National Health Trusts, local authorities, limited companies of all shapes and sizes, partnerships and private individuals.  Recent cases include:-

  • Negotiating a 37% reduction in the rateable value of a car workshop in Kettering, resulting in a refund over the 5 years of approximately £34,000, despite the fact that a company from outside the area had already appealed on behalf of the client and withdrawn their appeal.
  • Negotiating a 14% reduction in the rateable value of shop premises in Kettering town centre backdated to 1st April 2005, resulting in a refund of approximately £4,500 over the 5 year period of the 2005 Rating List.
  • Acting for a warehousing client in Corby whose rateable value had already been appealed by another agent, from outside the area, and negotiating a further reduction in rateable value, notwithstanding settlement of the earlier appeal, resulting in a further refund of £16,000.
  • Acting for approximately 75 retail clients in Kettering town centre, we have negotiated reductions in rateable value of up to 17.5% to reflect the high shop vacancy rate in the town centre and the closure of Woolworths. Rates reductions on these grounds are thought to be a first in the country. Moreover, it has enabled us to also negotiate reductions in the draft 2010 rating assessments for many of our clients, prior to them ‘going live’ on 1st April 2010.

Those commercial rate-payers who have not appealed their 2005 rating assessment should act now.  For further information contact Chris Noble ACIArb FRICS or Stephen Edwards FRICS.