Business Rates

Business Rates is a tax on all non-domestic property and is often an integral part of the overall property cost to a business in occupying or holding a property.

Every five years the Valuation Office Agency is required to revalue all non-domestic properties in order to re-align values with changes in the marketplace.  The current revaluation came into effect on 1 April 2010 and is an opinion of the rental value of the property as at 1 April 2008.

As a direct result of the revaluation many businesses and landlords of empty property have seen big increases in their rates liability.

What can be done?
Carter Jonas provides advice to clients in assessing their rates liability and whether there are merits in undertaking an appeal or highlight opportunities where savings can be made.

It is important to note that any appeal will need to be carefully considered as any appeal can see rateable values increase as well as decrease and therefore detailed investigations and an intimate understanding of each particular property is required.

Our commercial experts have a track record of successful appeals against incorrect valuations and while this is due in no small part to professional expertise, there is also no substitute for thorough local knowledge when it comes to making the kind of evidence-based case on which the appeals are made.

Other Services
In addition to advising upon challenging the 2010 Rating Revaluation we are able to act on a consultancy basis as to providing advice on;

·         Empty property rates
·         Hardship relief
·         Effects of transitional relief

Types of Property
We provide rating advice on all types of commercial property and provide a specialist rating service for those properties which fall within the highly specialised Minerals, Waste Management & Heavy Manufacturing sector.

Duncan WisbeyMRICS

Associate

Duncan is a member of the Landlord and Tenant team and is based in the Cambridge office.  He specialises in the provision of professional advice on landlord and tenant matters, in particul...

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Duncan is a member of the Landlord and Tenant team and is based in the Cambridge office.  He specialises in the provision of professional advice on landlord and tenant matters, in particular rent reviews, lease renewals, rating and lease restructuring.  He also undertakes commercial property valuations on all types of commercial property for various clients including lending institutions, public bodies and private clients.  Outside work, when time allows Duncan can be found on the water involved in sailing, hacking his way around the golf course or trying to stem the process of older age by playing football with mixed success.   

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