If you’re having difficulties or are struggling to pay your business rates, contact us immediately. We can check to make sure you’re getting all the discounts and reliefs you’re entitled to and review your payment plan.
Get money off your business rates account
If you do not contact us and continue to miss your payments, we will have to take action to recover any outstanding money. This will involve the issue of a Magistrates' Court summons. We will ask the court to grant a liability order and this would mean enforcement agent action (previously known as bailiffs), insolvency with the County Courts for any debt over £5000.00, or even committal to prison.
Enforcement agents process
- Administration stage
The enforcement agent starts initial contact with you. This results in administration fees but gives you a period of time to come to a payment arrangement. - Enforcement stage
Visits to your property. There is a set fee to cover work at this stage plus a further percentage fee for debts over a certain value. - Sale of goods stage
If goods are seized, there will be further costs including fees to cover the removal of goods and the costs of selling them, plus a further percentage fee for debts above a certain value.
- Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013
- Taking Control of Goods (fees) Regulations 2014
- Business Rates Debt Recovery Policy
What to do when an enforcement agent is involved
Once your account has been sent to the enforcement agent, you must make any payments directly to them, not us.
If the agent is unable to collect the amount due, they may be willing to make a short-term payment arrangement with you.
If you still do not make payment or default on an arrangement, the agent may remove goods from your property. The goods will then be sold to cover some or all of the balance outstanding and the agent's costs.
Enforcement Company contact details:
Marstons Group
Website: Marston Group
Email: businessrates@marstongroup.co.uk
Tel: 0845 0766262
Bristow & Sutor
Website: Bristow & Sutor
Tel: 0330 3902010
For call charges, check with your phone provider
