George Osborne has agreed to review empty rates legislation; York Outer MP, Julian Sturdy, met with the Chancellor of the Exchequer this week to present the case for changing the law to help struggling businesses. George Osborne has now asked Sturdy to form a working group with six other MPs to produce proposals for how the empty rates regime could be changed. Continue reading
George Osborne Acknowledges Empty Rates Must change
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Are your agents doing their utmost for you?
What is the single most important factor for any business? Answer: cash flow.
If you are a retailer wouldn’t you jump at the opportunity of reducing your business rates liability from the start of a new rating list? Continue reading
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Tagged business rates reductions, business rates savings, retailers, valuation office
It’s good to talk
Sadly I am of the age to remember Bob Hoskins telling us “it’s good to talk”. That particular ad campaign, which ran for five years, is said to have netted British Telecom an additional £5 billion in revenues. Twenty Five years later and Bob’s message still doesn’t seem to have got through to the Valuation Office Agency. Continue reading
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High Street Vacancy Rates Hit New High
New figures from the Local Data Company shows shop vacancy rates at a new record high of 14.6%. Continue reading
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Tagged business rates, business rates advice, empty rates, george osbourne's
What did the Budget Deliver for the Overburdened Ratepayer?
After eagerly awaiting George Osborne’s budget businesses were disappointed by the lack of reform to the business rates system. No changes were announced to ease the financial burden faced by many struggling companies. Continue reading
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MP’s call to reform unfair empty rates
The British Property Federation (BPF) has urged Chancellor George Osborne to use the upcoming Budget to reform empty property rates. As many as sixty five backbench MPs support the BPF submission to the government. The BPF has asked for relief from empty rates for low value properties, relief for new developments and for buildings that fall empty in the context of regeneration or refurbishment. Continue reading
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Rates Audit – Are you really having your best interests served?
RatesRecovery have recently generated a business rates refund of just under £100,000 for a well-known exhibition centre using our expertise in forensic auditing of rates bills and rateable values. Continue reading
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Tagged business rates advice, business rates refund, rates appeals, ratesrecovery
Applied Mathematics & Swahili
It’s that time of year again; you have had two months of not paying any business rates so your new rates demand will come as a shock. Continue reading
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Tagged business rates advice, business rates savings, online business rates
Local Retailers Struggle To Stay Afloat
Westfield continues to examine new growth opportunities in the UK specifically in London with the owner of the freehold of the Whitgift shopping centre in Croydon. Speculation has been fuelled by the sale of their stakes in the Belfast, Guildford and Tunbridge Wells centres for £159m to Hermes. The sales come after Westfield revealed last November that it had entered into “exclusive arrangements” with the owner of the freehold of the Whitgift shopping centre in Croydon to become development partner. But at what cost will this come to the local high street retailer? Continue reading
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Tagged business rates reductions, Westfield shopping centre
Inspections Lead To Business Rates Refunds
Have your altered your business premises? Are you paying for elements such as air conditioning that you do not have? If so, you may well be in line for a business rates reduction. One of the key components of an appeal is to carry out an inspection of the premises to determine if there are any differences in floor areas or specification. For example, on visiting one of our clients in Kent, we found there was a 100m2 difference in areas in favour of our client, which we would not have discovered had we not inspected the property. Continue reading
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Tagged busi, business rates advice
