Business Rates - Account Enquiries

See current information regarding the Coronavirus and Business Rates

Your Business Rates bill

Before the start of each financial year we will send a Business Rates bill to everyone who we have on record as being responsible for paying a Non-Domestic rate. This bill will show the net amount due after any deductions you may be entitled to.

You can pay your bill annually, or by monthly instalments and you will be given at least 14 days before the first payment is due.

If you disagree with the bill, please contact us to discuss what you object to and why. If it is due to a change in liability we will issue an amended bill, normally within 14 days of receiving the new information.  If this is due to a Valuation matter, you will need to follow the appeals procedure to take your complaint to the Valuation Tribunal.  While you are following this procedure, you will still be expected to pay the instalments when they are due. 

Recovery of unpaid Business rates

If we issue a summons for unpaid debt we will apply costs of £60.00 to your account.

If you do not make an arrangement for payment, or fail to keep an arrangement, we will take court action to enforce payment of the debt.
 
If you pay the amount shown on the summons before the court hearing, no further action will be taken.
 
If you are unable to pay the full amount immediately, please contact us to discuss an arrangement for payment on the understanding that the application for a Liability Order and additional costs will proceed.  In these cases we will not take any further action on the Liability Order if the arrangement is kept.
 
If a Liability Order is granted, additional minimum costs of £50.00 will be incurred and added to your account and we will immediately take action to recover the outstanding amount.  Even at this stage, unless instructions to take enforcement action have been issued, you will still have the opportunity to make an arrangement for payment, by contacting us.  If you do not make an arrangement for payment, or fail to keep an arrangement, we will take action to enforce payment of the debt without further notice.
 
 The main ways we can enforce payment of a debt are

• Enforcement agents may be instructed to take control of and sell your goods to the value of the outstanding business rates and costs you owe.
• The enforcement agent will give you the opportunity to make a satisfactory arrangement for payment before considering taking control of and selling your goods.  If enforcement agents are instructed, you will also incur their fees.
• Bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings may be started.

At whichever stage during the enforcement process you contact us to make an arrangement for payment, we will try to listen to any difficulties you may have and deal with you in a reasonable manner. This means that in order to help you we may sometimes need to ask for full details on your financial position. There may also be occasions when we advise you to seek help from a firm of Insolvency Practitioners who may be able to give you specialist advice on how to resolve your problems.
 
 If you would like to contact us about your Business Rates:

Our phonelines are currently closed, please email business.rates@newcastle.gov.uk with your enquiry and we will respond as soon as possible.

Customer Services

Newcastle City Council is committed to equalities and diversity and documents are available in different formats.

You can get all the information in large print, in Braille or on audio version. If you require this please email business.rates@newcastle.gov.uk and we will respond as soon as possible.

Complaints

We aim to provide high quality services for all our customers but we realise that things can sometimes go wrong. We need to know when you are not happy with our service. We see any complaint as an opportunity to improve our service.

If you want to complain about a service provided by the Business rates section then write to us or email business.rates@newcastle.gov.uk  and we will respond as soon as possible.

If you are unhappy with the response to your complaint, you can ask for it to be investigated more formally.

Similarly, if you feel unhappy at any stage with how the City Council is dealing with your complaint, you can ask the Commissioner for Local Administration in England - known as the Ombudsman - to investigate the matter.

Contact us

Our phonelines are currently closed, please email business.rates@newcastle.gov.uk with your enquiry and we will respond as soon as possible.

Write to us at:
Business Rates
Newcastle City Council
Civic Centre
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 8QH