Non payment of business rates
Your business rates bill usually
asks for your charge to be paid in instalments over 10 months,
the date you should pay is on your bill.
This is normally the 1 of the month, unless you decide to pay by
Direct Debit, when as an incentive to sign up we offer three
different payment dates and twelve instalments.
The 'Paying your Business Rates' page gives
you full details of how to sign up for Direct Debit.
Please contact our Business Rates Helpline on 01992
785584 if you wish to discuss the bill you have
received.
What will happen if you don't pay?
First reminder
If an instalment becomes overdue, a reminder will
be issued for the amount of the arrears. If payment of
this amount is made within seven days, your instalments can
continue. If you do not pay the arrears
within seven days, you will lose the right to pay by
instalments and the full balance on your business
rates account will become due immediately. If you do not
pay the full amount shown on your first reminder a
summons for non-payment will be issued by the Magistrates Court.
Second reminder
If you have been reminded once and brought your payments up to
date, but then miss a second instalment you will receive a second
reminder. If payment of this amount is made within seven
days, your instalments can continue. If you don't pay
the arrears within seven days, you will lose the right to
pay by instalments and the full balance on your business
rates account will become due immediately. If you do not
pay the full amount shown on your first reminder a
summons for non-payment will be issued by the Magistrates Court.
FIinal notice
If you miss any further instalments (during the same
billing period) the full balance on your business rates
account will become due immediately and a final notice will be
issued. You will have lost your right to pay by
instalments. If the full remaining balance is amount is not
paid within seven days a summons for non-payment will be
issued by the Magistrates Court.
Summons
If you have not paid after receiving a reminder notice, or have
not paid the whole amount of the final notice then you will be
sent a summons for non-payment of your business
rates. At this point you will incur an additional £40.00 in
costs. If you pay the whole amount on the summons including
the costs before the court date then the case will not go before
the Magistrates Court.
If payment is not made in full then any balance that
remains unpaid will go before the Magistrates Court where we
will ask for a liability order to be awarded to
the Council.
Liability order
If the amount shown on the summons is not paid in full by the
court date the Council will apply to the Magistrates Court for a
liability order. An order will be granted to the Council if
the Court is satisfied that the Council has followed the correct
procedures in billing and requesting payment of business
rates. This action will involve costs of £40.00 in addition
to the £40.00 summons costs already added.
The liability order provides the Council with the option of
the following enforcement powers:
- Request information regarding your finances
- Bailiff action
- Insolvency proceedings
- Proceedings for committal to prison