Voa

MA500

Valuations Office Agency ‘starved of resource’

17-Feb-2020 By Emily Hawkins

Action must be taken to reform the Valuations Office Agency (VOA), which is currently under-resourced, according to Altus Group rating chairman Stephen Philp.

'Wrongly banded' publican urges licensees to check their rateable value

15-Aug-2017 By Georgina Townshend

A publican whose business rates have almost doubled has claimed that despite being told by a Valuation Office Agency (VOA) officer he has been ‘wrongly banded’, he will still have to go through the highly criticised 'check, challenge, appeal'...

Letter template launched to help pubs ‘let down’ over business revaluations

05-Jul-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Publicans have been offered a template letter to send to their MPs to complain about the Government’s Valuation Office Agency’s (VOA) website, which is “not fit for purpose”.

Business rates

Legal advice on challenging your new business rates

10-Nov-2016 By Poppleston Allen

With the new draft rateable values for licensed premises available, here is how to go about challenging your new rates.

Pubs minister: system for calculating business rates 'unlikely' to change

27-May-2016 By Emily Sutherland

Pubs minister Marcus Jones has said that the current system for calculating pub business rates is unlikely to change ahead of next year’s revaluation.

Business rates appeals

Government's business rates proposal would 'fail' to deliver meaningful reform

11-Jan-2016 By Oli Gross

Proposed changes to the business rates appeals system are unhelpful and will fail to deliver meaningful reform, experts have argued.

Multiple operator hits out at ‘crazy’ business rates system after 15K hike

05-Dec-2013 By Michelle Perrett

A multiple operator has accused the business rates system of being “flawed” and “crazy” after facing a hike of almost £15,000 a year in business rates at just one site.

Lincolnshire licensee seeks change of use to cut business rates

13-Nov-2013 By Ellie Bothwell

A Lincolnshire licensee is battling to change the use of his building from a pub to a nightclub, after estimating that the move would reduce his business rates by around £50,000 a year.

How pub business rates are calculated

11-Jul-2012 By Michael Yass

Business rates are one of the highest costs for pubs, and many licensees disagree with how much they have to pay. So how does the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) work it out? Ratings surveyor Michael Yass, director at Chesterton Humberts, de-mystifies the...

Pub trade counts £7m cost of rate appeals

27-Oct-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Almost 7,500 pubs are still waiting to appeal their 2010 business rates, costing the industry an estimated £7m each year.

Pubs targeted by new wave of rogue rates agents

14-Apr-2011 By Michelle Perrett

A new wave of rogue business rates advisors has been targeting pubs over their rates appeals. The news has only come to light as the Valuation...

BBPA rejects GMB rent collusion claims

19-Aug-2010 By Hamish Champ

Claims by trade union GMB that the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has effectively stitched up the rent assessment process for tied tenants...

Rateable value: How do you rate your chances?

24-Nov-2009

Every five years all commercial properties are revalued by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to take into account shifts in value between UK regions...

Valuation Office urges licensees to check property valuation

22-Sep-2009 By Matt Eley Matt

Business owners - including licensees - are being urged to check details of their property valuation to ensure they are paying the right rates. Over...

Pub rating appeals delayed at VOA

13-Aug-2009 By Gemma McKenna

Pub rating appeals have been delayed because valuation officials have been busy preparing the new rating list for 2010. Thwaites Brewery said some...

Rateable values could allow for ban

06-Nov-2008 By Gemma McKenna

Rateable values could be reduced to take into account the smoking ban's impact on potential trade, new guidance from the Valuation Office Agency suggests.

Rogue business rates agents hit disgruntled pubs

15-Feb-2006

Licensees still need to be wary of rogue agents offering to appeal their business rates.The companies telephone a pub and offer to get its business...

Warning over rogue business rate appeal firms

28-Apr-2005

Licensees who want to fight for a review of their business rates should be wary of rogue companies offering to lodge appeals on their behalf.Many...

Extended hours could lead to increased business rates

04-Feb-2005

More flexible licensing hours could see a rise in business rates for licensees, says chartered surveyor LSM Partners.The rateable value of a pub is...

Many happy rental returns

09-Mar-2004

Licensees who fail to complete and return their rental rate forms on time risk financial penalties and possibly criminal prosecution, warns the...

Trade alerted to rating appeal rogues

07-Aug-2003

by Tony Halstead Licensees are being warned about an expected surge in the number of calls from rogue agents offering to handle rateable value...