Business Rates
Non-domestic business rates are a controversial tax on the occupation of any commercial premises. For offices, retail and some industrial assessments, the business rates are calculated using the Uniform Business Rates (UBR) Multiplier and the property rateable values are based on fragmented rental evidence collated by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA).
For hotels, pubs, leisure properties and certain industrial and agricultural assessments the rateable value is often determined using figures from the turnover or output.
The Valuation Office Agency do not always have accurate local rental evidence and will often have no idea what a business is turning over, which means it falls to either the ratepayer or their agent to formally challenge and correct an inaccurate business rates assessment.
The Valuation Office Agency have made it more and more difficult in recent years to appeal and reduce business rates assessments. In response, CPRA has designed what we believe to be the most advanced business rates appeal process within the market to mitigate business rates as quickly as possible and generate the biggest savings for our clients by reducing their property’s rateable values, and by ensuring the correct business rates reliefs have been applied to our clients’ assessments through business rates audit work.
We are experts in dealing with the complexities of the 2023-26 Rating List and reducing rateable values by appealing through the VOA’s “Check, Challenge, Appeal” system, otherwise known as CCA.
We employ regional rating surveyors across the country who apply local knowledge and expertise. Our surveyors have had exceptional careers and are innovators within their chosen niches including rateable values for offices, shops, restaurants, warehouses, distribution centres, factories, workshops, hotels, serviced apartments, nurseries, car showrooms, petrol stations, caravan parks, campsites, golf courses, pubs and bars. Our business rates team has a combined experience of over 100 years spanning several rating lists. We have been extremely successful in reducing business rates for virtually every property type with our clients usually saving between 10 – 100% from their business rates bills.
We usually charge a percentage of any savings secured if we are successful in reducing the property’s rateable value and securing a business rates refund, and we do not charge upfront fees for business rates advice. Our team manages the entire business rates reduction process which begins with a desktop review or inspection of the premises to find out if the rateable value has been over-assessed.
If you wish to arrange a meeting with one of our rating team, or if you would like to discuss your business rates in more detail over the phone, you can give us a call on 020 7770 8000 or leave a message by clicking Contact Us.
