Retail and Restaurants Business Rates

We can provide certainty with the accuracy of rate bills and account for changes in your accrual reports, which are crucial when budgeting for new sites and capital investments.

As well as advising on the impact of physical changes, including demolitions and temporary disturbances, we also work closely with the Valuation Office Agency and Scottish Assessors to manage and, where possible, ‘prior-agree’ alterations to assessments to reflect these changes.

We work with clients to explore every opportunity to mitigate their liability. Properties can also become redundant or reach a point beyond economic repair. In these cases, we can investigate opportunities to reduce or delete assessments where appropriate.

We ensure reliefs are properly applied. We are at the forefront of devising innovative solutions to problems posed by changes.

Overpayments made against business rates assessments can easily go unnoticed. Billing authority liability calculations can be difficult to understand and errors in calculations are easily overlooked. Our historic rates audit ensures that past errors and overpayments are resolved and refunded.

Dealing with several rating assessments can be overwhelming, particularly with monthly rates demands being issued by billing authorities (sometimes in error). Demands can be missed or overlooked when sent directly to a site and making payments on all properties can be difficult to keep a record of. Our RPMS team handle thousands of rates payments monthly and have a good rapport with many billing authorities, allowing them to secure refunds of overpaid rates and negotiate payment plans when required. RPMS act on behalf of a number of mineral operators in the UK, making regular payments to avoid summons being issued.