Expert business rates advice for owners and occupiers in the public and private sectors.
Our specialist team provides business rates advice to owners and occupiers across the public and private sectors. We work with single properties and large, complex portfolios.
Overpayments happen more often than you think. Calculation errors or misinterpretation of legislation are often the cause. We carry out a detailed business rates audit to check your charges are correct.
Using our bespoke software and expertise, we spot mistakes and recover overpayments, in some cases going back to 1995. Our aim is simple: make sure you’re paying only what’s fair.
Case studies
Dunlop Heywood Provided a rates audit service to EMS in respect of their portfolio of 12 Solar Farms totalling c.150MW of installed capacity and a total rateable value in the 2017 rating list of c.£950,000RV.
We believe in honesty, collaboration and building long-term relationships. That means giving straightforward guidance, setting realistic expectations and taking ownership of outcomes.
Business rates are a tax charged on most non-domestic properties, including shops, offices, warehouses, factories and some leisure premises.
They are calculated using the property’s rateable value, which is set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and multiplied by a government-set multiplier.
A rateable value is the VOA’s estimate of the annual rent your property would have achieved on the open market at a specific valuation date set by the Government.
It is not your actual rent and it is not the value of the property - but it is the figure used to calculate how much business rates you pay.
Your rates bill is calculated using a simple formula:
Rateable Value × Multiplier = Annual Business Rates Bill
The multiplier is set annually by the Government and normally increases each year in line with inflation.
Yes.
If your rateable value is too high, you have the right to challenge it through the Government’s “Check, Challenge, Appeal” process.
Many properties are over-assessed because the VOA relies on limited rental evidence and broad assumptions about property use, condition, and market conditions.
It is the formal process for disputing a rateable value:
Check – factual details about the property are reviewed
Challenge – evidence is submitted to support a reduced value
Appeal – the case is referred to the Valuation Tribunal if agreement cannot be reached
The process is technical and evidence-based, which is why most occupiers appoint a specialist rating surveyor.
It varies, but typically:
Although the process can be lengthy, any successful reduction is usually backdated, so refunds can be substantial.
Yes.
If your appeal is successful, the council will normally refund any overpaid rates, often with interest, back to the date the over-assessment applied.
Yes.
You must continue paying your rates bill while the case is in progress. The system operates on a “pay now, refund later” basis.
Common warning signs include:
A professional review can quickly identify whether a reduction is likely.
Several reliefs may apply depending on your circumstances, including:
Many occupiers are eligible but never apply.
Usually yes - but only after an initial exemption period:
After this, full rates normally apply unless further reliefs can be secured.
It is a legal strategy designed to reduce or remove liability on vacant premises using reliefs, exemptions or occupation solutions that comply with rating legislation.
A specialist rating surveyor:
Essentially, they act on your behalf to reduce your rates liability.
You are allowed to submit your own appeal, but business rates valuation is complex and evidence-based.
Most successful challenges rely on detailed rental analysis and legal interpretation of rating law, which is why businesses typically appoint an experienced rating consultancy.
Rating consultants usually work on either:
The structure is agreed before any work begins.
Ideally:
However, a review can be undertaken at any time.
Every few years the Government updates all rateable values to reflect changes in the property market.
Revaluations often create opportunities to reduce liabilities - but only if assessments are reviewed promptly.
Yes.
Physical changes such as subdivision, vacancy, reduced trading areas, access issues or deterioration in condition can all justify a lower rateable value.
Business rates valuation is a niche area of surveying requiring detailed market evidence, negotiation experience and knowledge of rating law.
A specialist consultancy understands how the VOA assesses properties and how to present evidence to secure reductions.
