Business Rates (NNDR) explained
When you have to pay
Payment of business rate bills is automatically set on a 10 monthly cycle. However, with effect from the 2014-15 financial year, the Government announced that businesses can ask for their business rate bills to be spread over 12 monthly instalments to help with cash flow. If you wish to take up this offer, you should contact the business rates section as soon as possible.
Reminders / summons
By law, the Council must send a reminder if your instalments are not up to date. If you do not bring them up to date within seven days you can lose the right to pay by instalments and, after a further seven days, you will receive a summons to appear at court.
If you receive a summons and do not pay in full before the hearing the Council will apply for a liability order together with court costs. The liability order grants the Council the right to use various methods to recover the outstanding debt.
After you have received a summons
Once a summons is issued you lose the right to pay by instalments and costs are incurred.
The Council will not apply for a liability order if the full amount outstanding is paid before the Liability Order hearing.
Even if a payment arrangement is made the Council still has to get the liability order, at which time further costs are incurred but it will not take any of the actions the liability order allows as long as you keep to the arrangements we have made with you.