Services

Business Rates are one of the largest overheads for businesses and having effective strategies for monitoring, reviewing, mitigating, and appealing business rates can lead to substantial savings in the amount of rates you pay.  At Chambers Surveyors, we proactively investigate where cost savings can be achieved for all of our clients and contacts.  

Check, challenge, appeal

In recent years, the Government has implemented a new ‘Check, Challenge, Appeal’ system to challenge business rates, in a bid to discourage high numbers of appeals.  The system puts the onus firmly on the rate payer to undertake a detailed assessment, which comes with administrative burden, prior to challenging the rates.  Chambers Surveyors can case manage the process to guide your business through the system and ultimately seek significant rates savings where we consider your assessment to be excessive.

Rates Reliefs and Exemptions

Some properties are eligible for business rates relief which can be pursued via their local authority.  You may qualify for one of a range of reliefs, such as small business rate relief, empty building relief, rural rate relief, Enterprise Zone relief, retail rate relief, or charitable relief.

Certain properties are exempt from business rates although there are strict legal requirements for those exemptions.  Contact us to find out more.

Empty Property Rates

Business Rates is a tax on property occupation paid for by the occupier, however, when a property becomes vacant the tax is still levied in the form of Empty Property Rates.  Whilst there is an initial period of rates relief, it then becomes the responsibility of the property owner to pay the full rates. 

There are various strategies which may be employed to minimise the empty rates liabilities although owners need to be mindful of the governing rules, legislation, and regulation when taking action.  It is imperative to take professional advice and our advisors will be able to discuss with you to meet your specific requirements.