Change of circumstances and business rates

You must tell the Business Rates Team if your circumstances at a property change, as this can affect your business rates bill.

Changes that you should let us know about include:

• if you occupy a property
• if you vacate a property
• if you remove stock from a property
• if you place stock in an empty property
• a change in correspondence address
• if you take on additional properties
• a change in bank details
• a change in the type of business you operate
• a change in how your business operates, such as a change from sole trader to a limited company
• if you become insolvent
• about moving into or out of a business premises
• about moving premises since making an application for business rates relief
• if you've bought or sold a business
• if the rateable value of a property which you are liable for increases, even if it's in another authority’s area

Additionally, you must make us aware of significant changes that are made at your property, as this can affect your rateable value, such as:

• building work
• demolishing part of a building, or a whole building
• significant external refurbishment
• significant internal refurbishment, such as splitting a property into separately divided spaces

You must report changes to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), or to us, immediately.

With up-to-date information we can:

• work out the correct charge for you
• ensure business rates relief or exemptions are in place
• send you a correct bill, as soon as possible

Also see

• Paying business rates
• Business rates arrears