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Business rates appeal deadline looms

Business rates experts at Alder King are reminding ratepayers who wish to appeal against their rates bill to submit their appeal before 31 March 2015 if they wish to secure the maximum refund on any over-payment. 

Successful appeals lodged before this date will deliver a refund backdated to 1 April 2010.  New rules currently being drafted will see refunds lodged after 1 April 2015 backdated to this later date.

Alan Morrish, partner at Alder King’s Bristol office, said: “The deadline of 31 March 2015 was hidden away in the small print of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement last year.  Business rates are notoriously complex and it’s hardly surprising that many ratepayers wouldn’t be aware of this deadline.”

Ratepayers have good reason for optimism in pursuing an appeal following a number of ground-breaking Valuation Tribunal decisions secured by Alder King which have set important precedents, reducing assessments considerably and opening up the possibility of refunds for many other ratepayers. 

“We have had great success at appeal for clients over the past year, securing business rates reductions worth over £7.5m in sectors including self-catering holiday cottages, telecoms, offices and manufacturing,” continued Mr Morrish. 

“No one likes to see up to five years of overpaid business rates being kept by the Government when there is a perfectly legitimate way of securing the full refund, but only by getting the appeal submitted by the end of March.”

There are various circumstances which could suggest the rateable value of a property has been mis-calculated leading to an over-payment.  The most common include a material change of circumstances affecting the property such as change of use or physical change of the local area.

Ratepayers wishing to discuss their business rates liabilities and the validity of lodging a claim before the deadline can contact Alder King’s business rates team.  Contact: 0117 317 1000

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