Business rates

Introduction to business rates

Non-domestic rates (often called business rates) are the way in which businesses and other occupiers of non-domestic property contribute towards the costs of local authority services.

There are four key organisations involved in local government finance and each has a separate responsibility, these are:

• Department for Communities and Local Government 
  responsible for setting the overall government policy on local taxation for more information visit the Department for Communities and Local Government website 
• Valuation Office Agency
  assesses rateable values that are the basis for working out business rates bills - to find your rateable value online visit the Valuation Office Agency website.
• Valuation Tribunal Service
  an independent, judicial body that has the power to deal with appeals relating to non-domestic rating (and council tax). For more information on appeals visit the Valuation Tribunal Service
• Local (billing) Authorities
  who are responsible for working out your business rates bill, giving any reliefs that may be due and for collecting the money.

For more information on how local government is financed visit the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) website.

Check your account online

You can now check your business rates account online.

Contact us

The Business rates team can be contacted at nndr@warwickdc.gov.uk

Business rates deferral scheme 2009/10

The government announced on 31/03/2009 that it would bring forward regulations to enable businesses to defer payment of 60% of the increase in their 2009-10 business rate bills until 2010-11 and 2011-12. Brief timetable of events;

• April 2009 - Information flyer issued to all business rates payers
• July 2009 - Regulations in place allowing the scheme to start
• August 2009 - Local Authorities to write to business rates payers offering option of deferral
• October 2009 - Ratepayers who have chosen to 'defer' should see a reduction in their monthly instalments

The Communities and Local Governement website contains more information and a copy of all the documentation produced so far. 

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