Act quickly to meet the Business Rates Revaluation deadline

The Valuation Office Agency’s (VOA) revaluation of Business Rates will proceed in April 2023. Appeals against the current level of business rates payable must be lodged before 31 March 2023. Act quickly, to ensure your property tax affairs are in order.

Have you checked the details held on your property ahead of a UK-wide revaluation of non-domestic rates in just two months?

If not, then its probably a good idea to put it at the top of your to-do list.

The new non-domestic rating list 2023

A new non-domestic rating list comes into effect on 1 April 2023 after the 2017 list closes. If the information held by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) isn’t correct, it could affect your future business rates.

The rating list sets out all rateable values for non-domestic properties in England and Wales. It is used by local authorities to help determine business rates. But your rateable value isn’t the same as your business rates bill.

The closure of the 2017 list means that there are only limited circumstances in which further amendments may be made to it. These are when:

• Changes need to be made to the list following Checks submitted before 1 April 2023 (and any subsequent challenges and appeals).
• The VOA is correcting inaccuracies on the list (this can be done up to 31 March 2024). If the list is changed then customers for those properties have the right to make a Check within six months of the change.
• A customer wants to challenge the 2017 list on the grounds of a tribunal or court decision. They can do this so long as a Check has been made by 30 September 2023.

Checking your property details are correct

This means that you have up until 31 March to check that the factual information held about your property on the 2017 list is correct, and to inform the VOA if it isn’t (this is known as making a Check case).

You will be able to challenge the 2017 assessment if you are not happy with the outcome.

If information needs updating, you will need to have an account set up on the Government Gateway and claim your property before you can make a Check case.

It can take some time to claim a property. It is recommended that you do this as soon as possible if you want to make a Check case on the information held about your property on the 2017 list.

When reviewing the information already held, you will need to consider if the below have been correctly reported:

• Accommodation or floor area
• Heating and air conditioning
• Width if it is a shop
• Car parking
• Floor levels
• Mezzanines
• Temporary structures
• Storage land
• Security cameras

The VOA regularly looks at property information selected at random and will carry out inspections if it is believed the details are incorrect.

If you need some help and advice reviewing your business rates position, get in touch.