Can the council charge me for providing information?
Our Business Rates Service offers support with historic account information retrieval and audits. This is in addition to the usual service provided.
The service is offered to assist companies, or their agents, in conducting detailed audits of their historic business rates accounts.
Please note that agents will require a signed authorisation from the ratepayer to act on a ratepayer’s behalf.
The additional discretionary service provides for the retrieval and collation of historic data relating to searches of accounts where bills had previously been issued and the information requested is older than the current year plus 12 months.
The checks can include:
- details of the property,
- any reliefs that were paid,
- a full breakdown of the account along with details of the periods of occupation,
- details of any rateable value changes,
- details of any account balances and any transitional protection applied to the accounts.
The following charges will apply:
For each property address for which a search is required. Information will include the liable party, the liability per year and details of account balances.
Cost: £25 per account. (If the search covers either more than a 3 year period or includes the 1990 rating list the charge will increase to £50 per account).
Where one request is made we will respond within 5 working days. If multiple requests are made please allow an additional day per additional property.
A full statement will provide all of the above, plus details of all individual payments per year and details of any transitional or other reliefs that have been claimed.
Cost: £25 for each financial year, per account.
These charges apply on the basis that this information has been previously provided directly to the account holder. Therefore, carrying out searches to identify accounts and or retrieving historic account information, assisting with an audit of the account, and collating the information is discretionary and beyond normal day to day service delivery.
Please note that we will only provide information to the account holder or to a third party who has a signed letter of authorisation to act on behalf of the account holder.
We can also provide details of historical rateable values for the period 01 April 1963 to the 31 March 1990.
A charge is payable for this information. For the first hour of any work carried out regarding your enquiry, £47.50 will become due. In addition, £25.00 will be charged for each hour or part hour thereafter.
Payment should be made in advance by cheque and made payable to: Capita Business Services Ltd.
Upon receiving the payment the work will be carried out and sent in a standard XL spreadsheet format.