Business Rates

Business rates can significantly affect your cash flow and profitability. We can help you identify saving opportunities through Business rates relief, to ensure you pay the correct amount.

At RCK, our business rates experts will help identify errors in your rateable value, past overpayments of business rates bills, applicable business rates reliefs, and business rates management.

We also help you with appeals, refunds, the application of business rates relief, and provide expert advise.

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Proven track record of results

Compliance at the heart of every claim

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How can we help?

We'll manage your business rates liabilities on your behalf while you focus on growing your business.

Navigating Business Rates Valuations, Challenges and Appeals

The rateable value of your property significantly affects your business rates. Various prevailing factors in the property market can affect the value of a property.

Our team of experts at RCK can help you challenge or appeal the Value Office Agency's stated value of your property. Our trained surveyors with in-depth knowledge and experience in valuation will identify errors in rateable value and devise effective challenge strategies.

Expert Business Rates Auditing

After a historic rates audit, many businesses find out they have been overpaying business rates. Overpayments occur due to overlooked business rates relief, errors in rateable values, or miscalculations by the local authorities.

Our team of experts at RCK can conduct a forensic evaluation of past business rate bills and payments made to identify issues in your bills and potentially unclaimed business rate relief and help you claim any refunds that you are entitled to.

Mitigation of Empty Rates

Having an empty property can be frustrating and it negatively affects your bottom line. This is without even considering the extra burden of paying business rates.

RCK is dedicated to helping you identify areas you can save on by assessing your property's eligibility for exemptions, business rates relief, or temporary alternative uses.

Our team's expertise in the domain enables us to devise the most appropriate strategy to minimise your liabilities. Staying abreast with existing and changing legislation also helps us identify areas that can benefit our clients while remaining compliant.

Whether you're an owner, developer, or occupier of an empty property, we'll provide appropriate guidance on applicable exemptions or reliefs and ongoing support.

Business Rates Explained

Business rates are taxes paid by commercial non-domestic properties to contribute to the cost of council run services.

Like council tax, business rates facilitate the provision of services like waste management and the police and fire departments. Some properties that pay business rates include shops, warehouses, pubs, factories, guest houses, holiday rental homes, restaurants, and offices.

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) determines your property's payable business rate amount by multiplying the rateable value by the applicable multiplier.

The rateable value of a property reflects an estimate of its market rental value. Rateable values are re-evaluated two years before the start of the rating list. The last re-evaluation was 1st April 2023.

The multipliers

Two multipliers are involved in calculating business rates: the small business multiplier and the standard multiplier. The multipliers apply to the whole of England with some exemptions and are set each financial year by the legislation. There are also additions to your multiplier if your property is located within Greater London and the City of London.

Changes in the multipliers account for changes in the Consumer Price Index for the September before the billing year.

Local authorities offer various business rate reliefs, such as small business rate relief, charitable relief, hardship relief, transitional relief, rural rate relief, empty property relief, and retail, hospitality, and leisure relief.

What Can Change Your Business Rates?

Generally, factors affecting the rateable value of your property and eligibility for business rates relief or exemptions affect how much you pay in business rates.

Some of the reasons include:

Creating products, services, or processes

Building works to both your property and the surrounding properties

Changes like renovations and extensions

Property becoming empty

Change in circumstances making you eligible for relief

Such nuances in calculating business rates can make it difficult to navigate the tax landscape effectively, which is why we advise enlisting a specialist.

Reach out to RCK.

Why Choose RCK for Your Business Rates?

We are committed to maximising our clients' savings using all the tools and resources in our arsenal.

Our Experience

We advise working with an experienced team to help you investigate and apply for relief whilst remaining compliance.

When working with RCK, you tap into our years of experience in identifying areas of refunds and appeals.

We'll help you provide and present evidence at the Valuation Tribunal and Upper Tribunal when you have an appeal.

You can trust us to negotiate with the relevant local authority when seeking a refund.

Our Expertise

The RCK team is made up of property specialists, surveyors, who can help you navigate the tax landscape.

You would be working with a team that provides expert advice and services when auditing your business rates bills, assessing your rateable values, or identifying areas of business rates relief eligibility.

Client-Centric Approach

At RCK, you and your business matter to us. Our team prides itself on providing optimal solutions for our clients.

We are a dynamic team with expertise in property valuation, accounting, property law, and tax laws. We leverage all available resources to help you manage your business rates.

We enjoy the challenge of helping each client minimise business rates liabilities to get the most benefit from working with us.

FAQs

How are Business Rates calculated?

In England, business rates are calculated by multiplying the rateable value by either the small business non-domestic rating multiplier or the standard non-domestic rating multiplier. Your rateable value determines which multiplier applies to your business.

You then deduct any applicable business rate relief to get your final business rates bill. You would, however, calculate England's business rates differently from Scotland and Northern Ireland.

How Does the Valuation Office Agency Set the Rateable Value?

The VOA, an agency of HMRC, sets the rateable value of your property according to rental values on the open market as at a particular date. RCK can help you challenge the rateable value if we establish it's wrong.

When Do I Pay Business Rates?

You can pay business rates bills on a 10-monthly cycle or 12 monthly instalments.

Does My Business Qualify for Business Rates Relief or Exemption?

The nature of your business determines your eligibility. You may qualify for small business relief if it's a small business. Cinemas, cafes, gyms, charities, and local newspapers may qualify for relief. You could also qualify for hardship relief when facing financial difficulties.

Your property may fall under agricultural land like fish farms, and buildings registered for public religious worship or for the welfare of disabled people. Such properties are exempted from paying business rates.

Our team at RCK can help you determine your eligibility for relief.

When Can My Business Rates Change?

Your business rates can change if the property's occupancy status changes. Rates can also change if the business property undergoes repairs, renovations, or extensions that alter its value, usage, size, and layout.

Changes to the surrounding area, such as roadwork, new developments, removal or addition of amenities, increased noise, or pollution affecting the property's market value, could also change your business rates.

Working with RCK will help you navigate such changes.

Picture of Brandley Westlake head of business rates and surveyor

Bradley Westlake - Head of Business Rates

Bradley Westlake leads our dynamic business rates team. His over eleven years of experience in rating give him extensive knowledge of Rating legislation in various UK markets, specialising in London, Manchester, and Bristol.

His years in the public and private sector enable him to steer the team and provide valuable insight to clients with various property types. Brandley also has vast experience working with local authorities, which comes in handy when resolving business rates matters like appeals and rebates.

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Take Charge of Your Business Rates Decisions With Trusted Tax Advisors

Accurate management of your business rates helps you with efficient business financial planning. Speak to an expert today, and let us help you manage your business rates.