Firms in Gedling borough are being warned about cold calling companies who are claiming to be able to secure reductions to business rates
The warning comes after a series of complaints were made to Nottinghamshire County Council’s Trading Standards team who are now advising local businesses to decline cold call offers to carry out a rating appeal.
Local authorities are required to collect business rates on behalf of Central Government and businesses are revalued and given new rates every five years.
The Council say they receive a flurry of complaints every five years as rogue firms target businesses whose rates have increased and charge large up-front fees to make an appeal against a revaluation.
Businesses wanting to appeal their new rates can get advice by contacting the Valuation Office Agency or reading the details of the appeals procedure outlined in the revaluation paperwork and the notes accompanying the rates bill.
Councillor Glynn Gilfoyle, Chair of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Community Safety Committee, said: “Local companies that sign up to a business rates revaluation service and pay the fee have no automatic right to cancel and could face a huge bill no matter what the outcome of the appeal.
“Our advice is for businesses to be very cautious of claims from cold callers saying they can secure big rate reductions and always be suspicious if you are asked to pay large sums of money upfront, especially for something you can do yourself.”
For more information on business rates valuation visit www.gov.uk/guidance/valuation-office-agency-and-business-rates-non-domestic-rates
To report a scam to Trading Standards, call the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 04 05 06.
