Help with 2009/2010 Business Rates Bill
On 31st
July 2009 the Government introduced new Regulations giving our
ratepayers the opportunity to defer payment of a proportion of the
increase in their 2009/2010 Business Rates bill until 2010/2011 and
2011/2012.
All Business Rate payers have been notified of this new
Regulation. A letter with an application form and information
leaflet has been sent out to all businesses in the Dover District
area. If you wish to take advantage of this scheme please return
the application form to the Business Rates team as soon as
possible.
You will be issued with a new bill detailing the deferred
payment and showing your new instalments. The preferred way to pay
is by Direct Debit which we can help you with.
Other schemes will still be considered along with the deferred
payments.
Leaflet and Application Form
Questions and Answers
How do I apply?
Complete our
Application Form and return it to us.
What’s the deadline for applying?
You can apply at any time until 31 March 2010, as long as you
have some of your bill left to pay. But we would encourage you to
apply early.
How much of my bill can I put off
paying?
Everyone is able to put off 3 per cent of their whole year’s
2009/2010 business rates bill. So, if your yearly bill is £5,000,
you will be able to put off paying £150.
What if the property I occupy received transitional relief last
year?
If the property you occupy was receiving transitional relief in
2008/2009, you will also be able to put off paying 60 per cent of
that amount.
What if I have paid some or all of my bill?
You will be able to put off paying 3 per cent of your whole
2009/2010 bill, as long as you have that amount left to pay. If you
have less than 3 per cent left to pay, you can still put off paying
this amount. You will not be able to put off paying anything if you
have already paid all of your bill.
How will my payments be reduced?
The payments you have left to make will be reduced by the amount
you are putting off paying for the whole year. For example, if you
can put off £100 and you have four payments left to make, each of
those payments will be reduced by £25.
Will I pay interest on the amount I put off paying?
No.
How soon will I see the benefit of making lower payments?
You should be able to see the benefit of your lower payments in
your next payment or, at the latest, in the next one after that,
depending on when you made your application. The amount you can put
off paying will not change in both situations.
When will I have to pay back the amount I put off?
You will pay back half the amount in 2010/2011 and half in
2011/2012, as well as paying your full bill for those years. Your
rates bills in the next two years will include details of the
amounts you have put off paying and need to pay, and your payments
will be adjusted in line with this.
What if I have more than one
property?
If you have more than one property in the same council area, you
only need to fill in one application form. You will need to give us
the address of all the properties you want to claim for. If you
have properties in more than one council area, you will need to
apply to each council separately.
What if I stop occupying the
property?
You will need to pay the amounts you have a duty to pay by law,
including the amount you have put off paying. Your local council
will send you a revised bill, letting you know how much you should
pay.
What if I am already in arrears?
You do not automatically have the right to put off making any
payments if you have already lost the right to pay your bill by
instalments. You may still apply to put off making a payment, but
it will be up to your local council to decide whether or not to
approve this. You may also want to talk to your local council to
discuss what other help is available.
What if I don’t keep up with my payments?
If you are struggling to keep up with your payments, you should
talk to your local council to discuss what other help is
available.
Contact
Telephone: 01304 872158
E-mail: nndr@dover.gov.uk
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