Act now over business rates, firms told

COMPANIES face losing out on five years of refunds on their business rates because of the Government’s controversial imposition of a looming deadline for appeals.

This is according to at least two advisers helping North West companies get to grips with the Government-imposed cut-off-point of April 1 for appeals on their business rates valuations.

The North West office of Colliers International in Manchester and commercial property firm Matthews & Goodman, also with offices in the city, Liverpool and London, have said the deadline was almost buried in the small print of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement with no attention drawn to it.

Head of rating at Colliers, Adam Burke, said: “Despite having extended the time period for the revaluation of businesses on the ratings list from five to seven years (extended to 2017) they haven’t extended the period to appeal.

“This means that whilst businesses will still be able to appeal between April 2015 and 2017, any refunds or savings will only be backdated to April 2015, meaning that businesses could lose out on five years’ worth of refunds.

“Making this announcement only weeks before the cut off is scandalous. The Government wants it both ways – an extension to the list but no extension to the appeal deadline.”

Burke’s views were echoed by Head of northern rating at Matthews & Goodman, Frank Alder.

“The Autumn Statement announcement is unwelcome news for business rate payers, particularly given the present opposition to the current rating system.
 
“The system is more than 400 years old and fails to reflect the modern commercial landscape.

“We have a situation where high street retailers, particularly the smaller ones, are already struggling to compete with businesses that are trading online and this limitation of their rights is a further blow.”