If you do not pay your business rates
If you are struggling to pay your business rates you should check if your business is eligible for a business rate reduction.
Next steps if you do not pay:
- You will be sent a reminder for the late instalment
- To continue to pay in instalments you will need to pay the amount on the reminder within 7 days
- If you do not pay the amount on the reminder, your instalment plan will be cancelled and the full business rate amount will be due within a further 7 days
- If the reminder is not paid in time a summons will be issued against you
- If you pay the reminder but fail to pay any future instalments on time within the same financial year, the full amount outstanding will automatically become due 7 days after the instalment due date.
Court summons
You’ll be sent a court summons if you do not pay your reminder. You do not need to attend court if you accept that you owe the amount outstanding. The court cannot look at your financial situation or make a payment arrangement with you.
To prevent us applying for a liability order you must pay in full, including the summons costs before the court hearing.
The court hearing
At the court hearing we will ask the magistrates to issue a liability order. The liability order gives the council additional powers to recover Council Tax which include:
- using enforcement agents (bailiffs) to remove goods
- bankruptcy or liquidation.
To prevent us taking any further action contact us immediately to make a payment arrangement.