Licensees warned over rates appeal accuracy

Licensees are being warned that even the slightest error in information provided about their business rates could effect their chance of a successful appeal.

There are just two weeks left for publicans to appeal against the 2005 rateable value that has been used to calculate their bills over the last five years.

And Julian Jennings, a partner at Gerald Eve which has advised thousands of pubs on ratings, said it is "critical" that all documentation supplied to the Valuation Office is accurate.

He said: "The Valuation Office Agency scrutinizes every appeal made and if there is any mistake, however trivial it may seem, they will treat the appeal as invalid, and the right to correct bills over the last five years may be lost.

"For example, if a rent is paid for the property one must ensure it is stated accurately, not approximately. I know of cases where the appeal has been invalidated when the ratepayer said the property was freehold with no rent payable, whereas in truth it was held on a 999 year lease at a rent of £1.

"Ratepayers will not want to lose their appeal rights over such pedantic issues."