Business rates valuations and appeals, compliance
and rates account management.
We offer a complete range of business rates services delivered by a team of experts local to your organisation, underpinned with over 50 years of experience in the rating industry. We cover sectors spanning automotive, industrial and logistics, offices and serviced offices, retail, leisure and hospitality and more.
Our specialist teams work throughout the UK, strategically based in our Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Scotland and Uxbridge offices.
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£2 billionin total saved for our clients since 2010
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£500 millionof savings recovered by our Accurates team including £3m in one single review
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£29 millionrefunded to clients since 2010 by our Accurates property usage reviews
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70,000properties and circa £800m in client funds managed by our Rate Account Management team p/a
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130+specialists including four Rating Diploma Holders
What we offer
Extensive experience in both the public and private sectors
Rateable value is the keystone of calculating your business rates assessment. However, it is not an exact science and is based upon a hypothetical opinion of value reached by the Valuation Office Agency, a division of HMRC. It is a complex area and requires specialist rating expertise to challenge it. We work closely with our Valuations team and draw upon their in-depth market knowledge in order to effectively analyse data and query the approaches adopted by the Valuation Office Agency.
Our rating surveyors have extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, having had experience of providing evidence at both Valuation Tribunal and Upper Tribunal. We monitor all changing legislation and are well positioned to provide all of our clients with regular update newsletters throughout the duration of an instruction.
We deliver timely advice on whether it's appropriate to launch appeals, setting out a clear business case. We have the valuation expertise and specialist rating knowledge to ensure that your rateable value is at the lowest level. We actively respond to the government on any prospective changes to legislation and we will ensure that you are informed of any changes in the law that might affect your rate liability. Our services include co-ordination with other bodies, prior agreement of a new property or for the 2023 Rating List, material change of circumstance appeals, focus on methods of valuation and case law specialists. We have specialist surveyors within the team to handle every area of the market.
Forensic examination of your payments record
The Accurates team is made up of highly skilled, forensic rating compliance audit specialists. The majority are Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation qualified former local authority revenues officers. The other part of the team is made up of data and systems analysts, whose prime objective is to supplement your own existing cost management systems.
Accurates is the industry leader, due to its specialist expertise, in providing advice on whether or not rate liabilities (current and historic) demanded by billing authorities, are compliant with current local tax collection/enforcement legislation and best practice.
We forensically examine your historical payments record to identify instances of overpayments in rates, which can be as a result of inaccurate calculation at the time, or through charges that were not compliant with the legislation in force.
Our services include: desktop assessment of liabilities, liability and collection compliance, best practice and due diligence audits, business rates health-check, web-based compliance audit reports and business rate administration.
Proactive advice on managing and minimising rate liabilities
Empty rates are the breaking point for some in the current market. By eliminating business rate relief on empty properties, companies are being penalised for situations where there is no income. Empty rates are making a bad situation worse.
We played a key role in the consultation that preceded the introduction of the new legislation, helping to limit its impact on owners of empty properties. With a legal consultant on board, we can offer proactive advice on managing and minimising rate liabilities now and in the future. We can ensure compliance with new and existing legislation.
Managing your rates liability
We manage client rates liability using a dedicated accounts team and surveyors to deal with portfolio changes and appeals. Our team can additionally take on responsibility for the rate function altogether, providing a service that integrates our expertise in rating and management accounts.
We will ensure that only correct rate demands are paid and that any refunds and interest due are paid promptly, making sure all payments are traceable against individual properties and providing regular, comprehensive reports to keep clients in touch with all developments.
Our Services include: dedicated specialists, rate demands, funding and payment, reporting and forecasting.
Industrial Rate Changes 2024
Industrial occupiers are facing a double hit when the Transitional Rate Relief ends this year alongside the planned increase in the Uniform Business Rate multiplier, our Rating experts ensure our clients pay the right rates.