Frequently asked questions

Can you guarantee that you can make savings in my business rate charges?

RM never guarantee that savings can be achieved in your rates liability. We undertake a survey and if we feel it may be beneficial to appeal the Rateable Value we would contact you to advise you accordingly. It is only when our Surveyors enter into negotiations with the Valuation Officer that we can determine whether a reduction can be achieved on your behalf. Obviously, there are exceptions whereby we do strongly feel that a reduction is possible but we never guarantee this. Due to transitional relief, it is possible to reduce a Rateable Value without savings in rates payable being achieved.

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Do I have to challenge my Rateable Value every year?

No. Unless you make any changes to your property eg. demolish parts, add an extension, or in certain instances change the usage, or unless the Valuation Officer alters the assessment, then your Rateable Value will remain the same for the duration of the five year Rating List period. Indeed you can only appeal once for any particular event.

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Why does it take so long to challenge a Rateable Value?

Proposals to challenge Rateable Values are sent to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA). The VOA set the timetable for dealing with appeals and place all proposals into Programmes, giving them a start date and a target date and this sets down the time frame within which the VOA are prepared to hold discussions. We do not generally have the powers to speed up this process, although the Valuation Office are more sympathetic to those who are suffering "hardship".

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How far back can a reduction in Rateable Value be backdated?

As a general rule, any alteration can be backdated to the date when that rateable value came into force. This is currently either 01 April 2005 or a later date if the appeal is against an alteration to the rating assessment or due to some other circumstances that have come into affect since that date.

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I don't understand the RM fee structure.

Our fees are only charged if we successfully achieve a reduction in your rateable value on your behalf, and if this reduction gives rise to savings in the rates you pay to your local billing authority. Our fees are then charged on an agreed percentage of the total savings that you benefit from as a result of our actions, over the five year duration of the rating list. However, unlike other companies, we only charge you when you receive the benefits of the savings. Consequently, when the initial saving is received by yourself, an invoice is issued on the basis of the agreed percentage of the saving received. In subsequent years, when you receive your reduced rate bill from the billing authority, a further account is issued in June of that year, based upon a percentage of the saving that you have benefited from in that year. In effect therefore, you only pay us when you receive the benefits of the savings achieved for you.

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What happens if I move out of a property?

RM only charge on savings achieved by us in actual rates payable during your period of liability. In other words, if you move out of a property and we achieve savings on your behalf, your liability to us will be purely based upon the actual savings that you benefit from, up to the date that you disposed of the premises.

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I’m being charged business rates on an empty property, is this correct?

With effect from the 1st April 2008 the legislation changed with regard to the rate liability for empty or partially occupied property. Whereas before this date, there was no empty rate liability for unoccupied industrial, warehouse and factory premises, from 01 April 2008 onwards, there is only an initial period of six months from the date that a property becomes empty, when the ratepayer benefits from a rate-free period. Similarly, with other categories of property, eg shops, offices, public houses etc, there is now only an initial three month rate-free period, and with all categories of property, once the relevant six or three month period has come to an end the full rate liability becomes due. There are certain exceptions eg listed buildings but there are also other avenues that can be explored and RM are able to endeavour to obtain further rate relief on your behalf, and explore any possible opportunities.

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I have received a Request For Information Form from the Valuation Office, what should I do?

The "request for Information" VO 6003 form is sent out by the Valuation Office Agency in order to obtain rental information which enables it to prepare valuations in advance of the forthcoming rating revaluation, which comes into force on 01 April 2010. There is now a statutory requirement to complete these forms within the set time period and failure to do so may result in a fine. RM are more than happy to complete these forms on your behalf and submit them to the Valuation Office, free of charge.

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The roadworks outside my shop are causing a nuisance and affecting my trade.

If certain factors in the locality of your property, for instance roadworks, building works, a new road layout or new competition in the locality, are affecting your trade or are disturbing the use of your property, then it is possible that an appeal may be made against your rating assessment due to a Material Change of Circumstance. RM may be able to achieve a reduction in your business rates liability for the duration of the works, or in the case of a permanent change, on a long-term basis.

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Why can't I claim small business rate relief on my property?

Small business rates relief can only be claimed if you only occupy one property and your rateable value is less than £15,000. if you only have one property and the rateable value is between £10,000 and £15,000 then your rate bill will be calculated using the Small Business UBR (Uniform Business Rate). If you only have one property and the rateable value is less than £10,000, then small business rate relief is calculated on a sliding scale.

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