Rates appeals collapse

 Rates appeals collapse following reforms

Official appeals against business rates have plummeted since the introduction of reforms in April, small business groups have warned. Businesses claim the “check, challenge and appeal” system for contesting bills has made it nearly impossible to challenge calculations that may be incorrect. The Times reports that between April 1, when the new system began, and the end of July about 2,200 businesses had instigated an official “check” of their bill. That compared with 57,430 appeals within the first three months of the last revaluation period in 2010. Mike Cherry, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said that the new system had heaped “further misery on thousands of small firms”.

The Times (16/08/2017)