Business Rates
Business Rates
The Non-domestic rates
collected by Local Authorities are paid into a central pool and
re-distributed to all charging authorities in proportion to the
number of Council Tax payers in that area. This re-distributed
income, together with income from its Council taxpayers and
revenues support grant from the Government, is used to pay for the
services provided by the Local Authority.
Rateable Value
The rateable value of
non-domestic property is fixed in most cases by an Independent
Valuation Officer of the Valuation Office Agency. All non-domestic
property is revalued every 5 years. From 1st April 2010, the
rateable value of a property represents its open market value at
1st April 2008. The values of all property in respect of which
rates are payable to Wyre Forest District Council are shown in the
local ratings list, a copy of which may be inspected at:
The Valuation Office Agency
Crown House
Bull Ring
Kidderminster
Worcs, DY10 2AA
Tel: 01562 620100
www.voa.gov.uk
Alternatively, you can click on the logo to search the ratings
list.
Valuation Office Agency
- Rating list
The Valuation Officer may alter the value if he believes that the
circumstances of the property have changed. The ratepayer (and
certain others who have an interest in the property) may also in
certain circumstances propose a change in value. If in any case the
ratepayer and the Valuation Officer do not agree, the matter will
be referred as an appeal to the Valuation Tribunal.
Information about the circumstances in which a change in rateable
value may be proposed and how such a proposal may be made is
available from the Valuation Office at the address shown
above.
Please note that if you have appealed against your rateable
value, payment is still due as detailed on your Rates Bill and
cannot be withheld pending the outcome of your
appeal.
National Non-Domestic Rating Multiplier
The local authority works out the Business Rates bill by
multiplying the rateable value of the property by the appropriate
multiplier. From 1st April 2005 there are two multipliers; the
standard non-domestic rating multiplier and the small business
non-domestic rating multiplier. The former is higher to pay for
small business rate relief. The Government sets the multipliers for
each financial year for the whole of England. The Government
normally changes both multipliers every year in line with
inflation. By law, the multipliers cannot go up by more than the
rate of inflation apart from some minor adjustments to counteract
losses from appeals and, in relation to the standard multiplier, to
pay for small business rate relief. In the year of a revaluation it
is set at a level which will keep the total amount raised in rates
after the revaluation the same as before, plus inflation for that
year. The current multipliers are shown on the front of your
bill.
Small Business Rate Relief
This relief is only available to ratepayers who apply to their
local authority and who occupy either:
(a) one property, or
(b) one main property and other additional properties providing
those additional properties each have a rateable value of less than
£2,600.
The rateable value of the property mentioned in (a), or the
aggregate rateable value of all properties mentioned in (b), must
be under £18,000 outside London or £25,500 within London, including
on 1st April each year.
Ratepayers who satisfy these conditions will have the bill for
their single or main property calculated using the lower small
business non-domestic rating multiplier rather than the ordinary
non-domestic rating multiplier that is used to calculate the
liability of other businesses.
In addition, if the single or main property is shown on the rating
list with a rateable value of up to £12,000, the ratepayer will
receive a percentage reduction in their rates bill for this
property up to a maximum of 50% for a property with a rateable
value of not more than £6,000.
If an application for relief is granted, provided the ratepayer’s
circumstances do not change, the application will not need to be
renewed until the next revaluation of non-domestic premises, which
happens every five years. Certain changes in circumstances will
need to be notified to the local authority by the ratepayer (other
changes will be picked up by the local authority). The changes
which must be notified are-
(a) the ratepayer taking up occupation of a property they did
not occupy at the time of making their application for relief;
and
(b) an increase in the rateable value of a property occupied by
the ratepayer in an area other than the area of the local authority
which granted the relief.
Notification of these changes must be given to the local authority
within 4 weeks of the day after the day the change happened. If
this happens, there will be no interruption to the ratepayer’s
entitlement to the relief. However, failure to notify the authority
within this timeframe will mean that the ratepayer ceases to be
entitled to the relief with effect from the day that the change
happened. If they are still eligible, the ratepayer will be
entitled to the relief again with effect from the day that they
notify the local authority. A notification that the ratepayer has
taken up occupation of an additional property must be by way of a
fresh application for relief; notice of an increase in rateable
value must be given in writing.
Transitional Adjustments
Transitional arrangements will phase in the effect of
significant changes in liability which arise from the 2010
revaluation of non-domestic property. Where appropriate, these
arrangements will operate over a five year period (when all
non-domestic property will be revalued again). There are limits on
the percentage by which bills may increase or decrease each
year.
Special rules deal with changes in rateable values and the merger
or splitting of existing properties.
Unoccupied Property Rating
Non-domestic
properties which are unoccupied may be liable to empty property
rates. Rates are charged at 100% of the full rate bill or of the
transitional bill where the transitional arrangements apply.
Liability begins after the property had been empty for 3 months (6
months for Qualifying Industrial Premises). Certain types of
property, such as listed buildings and properties owned by
Charities, are exempt from empty property rates.
Empty Property Relief
The Rateable Value Threshold below which empty properties are
exempt will revert to £2,600 with effect from 1st April 2011. The
previous Rateable Value Threshold was set at £18,000.
Partly Occupied Property Relief
A ratepayer is liable for the full non-domestic rate whether a
property is wholly occupied or only partly occupied. Where a
property is partly occupied for a short time, the local authority
has discretion in certain cases to award relief in respect of the
unoccupied part. Full details can be obtained from the local
authority.
Charitable And Discretionary Relief
Charities are entitled to relief from rates on any non-domestic
property which is wholly or mainly used for charitable purposes.
Relief is given at 80% of the full rate bill or the transitional
bill where the transitional arrangements apply.Billing authorities
have the discretion to reduce the bill further or waive it all
together. Authorities can also give relief to certain bodies not
established or conducted for profit. This is a discretionary
relief. The purposes of the organisation applying for the relief
must be philanthropic, religious or concerned with education,
social welfare, science, literature or the fine arts.
You can
download the Application Form here 
(
77K).
Direct Debit
Why not switch to Direct Debit to pay your Business Rates? There
are no cheques to write, no paperwork or postage and there's no
queuing. Click below to download a Direct Debit application
form.
Download a
Direct Debit Form (88K)
Please send completed forms to:
Wyre Forest District Council
Financial Services Division
Duke House
Clensmore Street
Kidderminster
Worcs
DY10 2JX
Check Your Business Rates Accounts
Balance
All you need is your account reference number. Check
your balance here
Get your bill by email - one less
piece of to file!
