{"id":72029,"date":"2016-07-06T14:00:17","date_gmt":"2016-07-06T14:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=cd75aa26b59a56cf2d02ead5e57510f5"},"modified":"2016-07-06T14:00:17","modified_gmt":"2016-07-06T14:00:17","slug":"press-release-businesses-rate-appeals-reform-set-to-streamline-the-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=72029","title":{"rendered":"Press release: Businesses rate appeals reform set to streamline the system"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"govspeak\">\n<div class=\"call-to-action\">\n<ul>\n<li>a new simple online service will allow customers to provide information and track progress of their check or challenge<\/li>\n<li>new tailored package to support small businesses<\/li>\n<li>weed out speculative appeals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Businesses will benefit from a quicker and more efficient service when checking and challenging their business rates bills, under plans confirmed today (6 July 2016) by Secretary of State Greg Clark.<\/p>\n<p>Following a period of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/consultations\/reforming-business-rates-appeals-check-challenge-appeal\">consultation<\/a> \u2013 where an overwhelming majority of respondents recognised the need for change \u2013 the government will now press ahead with streamlining the appeals system in England.<\/p>\n<p>The new \u201ccheck, challenge, appeal\u201d process will help prevent speculative appeals, and make sure genuine disputes are settled more quickly for all involved.<\/p>\n<p>At present, the vast majority of cases do not lead to a successful appeal and fewer than 2% of the business rates appeals precede to a Tribunal hearing.<\/p>\n<p>These moves will also bring added security to councils when planning their budgets. It follows the launch of a consultation, which sets the course towards councils\u2019 self-sufficiency and the retention of 100% of local taxes by 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Greg Clark said:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>For too long we\u2019ve had an appeals system where backlogged cases \u2013 often caused by unscrupulous agents eyeing up a fast buck \u2013 meant unnecessary costs and uncertainty for all involved.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why we are going ahead with our plans to streamline the process and help resolve cases as quickly and fairly as possible.<\/p>\n<p class=\"last-child\">The vast majority of disputes will now be settled long before lengthy litigation and will mean businesses and councils can get on with planning budgets, confident they are getting a fair deal.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 id=\"reforming-the-system-to-reassure-ratepayers\">Reforming the system to reassure ratepayers<\/h2>\n<p>With the move towards a future where <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/historic-opportunity-for-councils-to-shape-their-financial-future\">councils are self-sufficient, retaining 100% of local taxes by 2020<\/a>, it is essential that business rates disputes are settled efficiently.<\/p>\n<p>Over 955,000 appeals have been submitted against rating valuations for the 2010 Rating List in England. The current system sees too many appeals held up for too long, creating costs and uncertainty for businesses and councils alike.<\/p>\n<p>The great majority of these have been submitted by agents, often operating on a \u2018no win, no fee\u2019 basis, putting in protective or speculative appeals, with no supporting evidence \u2013 sometimes for businesses who are unaware this is being done on their behalf.<\/p>\n<p>Now to help weed out these speculative appeals that clog up the system and to ensure genuine disputes are resolved as early in the process as is possible a reformed business rates appeals process will come into effect in April 2017.<\/p>\n<p>Businesses will now go through a 3-stage process:<\/p>\n<p>Check \u2013 ensuring the relevant facts are up to date and accurate, with any agreed errors quickly corrected. For the vast majority of ratepayers it is expected that this check stage will be complete in a matter of days.<\/p>\n<p>Challenge \u2013 allowing the business to challenge the rateable value on which their business rates bill is based, giving them the opportunity to set out their grounds for challenging, an alternative valuation and to put forward supporting evidence &#8211; it is expected that the great majority of cases to be resolved by this point.<\/p>\n<p>Appeal \u2013 offering the opportunity to appeal to an independent valuation tribunal.<\/p>\n<p>The business rates appeals reform offers a package of different interventions, which will improve the current appeals system and will require changes in the behaviour and working practices from all parties.<\/p>\n<p>To help improve the flow of information between ratepayers and the Valuation Office Agency a new simple online service will allow customers to provide information about their property as often as they like and to track the progress of their check or challenge.<\/p>\n<p>With this streamlined process, and improved information exchange between ratepayers and customers, it is expected that the vast majority of cases will be settled in the check and challenge phases.<\/p>\n<p>And to help ensure only genuine cases go forward to the appeal stage, a new \u00a3300 fee will be charged for anyone looking to lodge an appeal. This is fully refundable if the appeal is successful.<\/p>\n<p>In line with other parts of the tax system penalties of up to \u00a3500 may also be imposed for the provision of false information \u201ccarelessly, recklessly or knowingly\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>To meet small businesses needs a tailored package will be offered providing:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a fast track through the system<\/li>\n<li>clear guidance which will help them navigate the system without professional support<\/li>\n<li>lower levels of fees for making an appeal, which will be refunded if successful<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"contact postal-address\" id=\"contact_40\">\n<div class=\"content\">\n<h3>Office address and general enquiries<\/h3>\n<div class=\"vcard contact-inner\">\n<p class=\"adr\">\n<span class=\"street-address\">2 Marsham Street<br \/>\n<br \/>\nLondon<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"postal-code\">SW1P 4DF<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"email-url-number\">\n<p class=\"contact_form_url\">\n              <span class=\"type\">Contact form<\/span><br \/>\n              <a href=\"http:\/\/forms.communities.gov.uk\/\">http:\/\/forms.communiti&#8230;<\/a>\n            <\/p>\n<p class=\"tel\">\n              <span class=\"type\">General enquiries:  please use this number if you are a member of the public<\/span><br \/>\n              030 3444 0000\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"contact \" id=\"contact_171\">\n<div class=\"content\">\n<h3>Media enquiries<\/h3>\n<div class=\"vcard contact-inner\">\n<div class=\"email-url-number\">\n<p class=\"email\">\n              <span class=\"type\">Email<\/span><br \/>\n              <a class=\"email\" href=\"mailto:press.office@communities.gsi.gov.uk\">press.office@communities.gsi.gov.uk<\/a>\n            <\/p>\n<p class=\"tel\">\n              <span class=\"type\">Please use this number if you&#8217;re a journalist wishing to speak to Press Office<\/span><br \/>\n              030 3444 1201\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Businesses will benefit from a quicker and more efficient service when checking and challenging their business rates bills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72029"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=72029"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72029\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=72029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=72029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=72029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}