Highland Council Trading Standards - Non-domestic rates reduction scams warning
11th April 2016
Highland Council Trading Standards have warned of - rates reduction - firms who are targeting local businesses.
The Highland Councils Finance Service raised concerns when they began to receive calls from Highland businesses about receiving unsolicited marketing letters. Some local businesses had received letters suggesting that they could receive a large reduction in non-domestic rates and in some instances that a back dated refund of this charge could be available by submitting an appeal. The letter included that the services provided would attract a fee.
Highland Council's Trading Standards team want to advise businesses to be cautious of such claims made by companies that state that they can secure big reductions in business rates. Local businesses should always ask for confirmation of such claims in writing and if the company refuses to supply this, then the message is clear.....dont go ahead. In all calls that the Council has received from businesses in response to such letters to date, no refunds or reduction in rates have been applicable.
Team Leader David MacKenzie said: Businesses would not have to pay a fee in order to ask for their rates to be reviewed. Such a request should be lodged with their local council. We are concerned that local businesses may be duped into paying for something that they can obtain free of charge from their local council.
Allan Gunn, Head of Revenues and Business Support of the Councils Finance Service added: Local Highland businesses can receive free advice and information on how their non-domestic rates are calculated for their business properties and their rates can be reviewed if circumstances should change. We would urge local Highland businesses to contact us directly for free and confidential advice if they have any queries regarding their current rates.
Highland Council Non-Domestic Rates Team can be contacted in writing at:
Non-Domestic Rates Team
The Highland Council
PO Box 5650
Inverness
IV3 5YX
Highland businesses can also make contact with the team by email at:
nondomesticrates@highland.gov.uk or by telephone on 01463 702984.
Application forms and guidance for relief or remission regarding non-domestic rates can be found at:
www.highland.gov.uk/nondomesticrates
Further guidance regarding Scotland Valuation Rolls & Council Tax Lists can be found online from: Scottish Assessors Association at: http://www.saa.gov.uk/
Highland Council Trading Standards further adds that businesses should ALWAYS be suspicious if asked to pay large sums of money up front, especially for something that can be applied for free. Concerned Highland business can visit or write to: The Highland Council Trading Standards Service, 38 Harbour Road, Inverness IV1 1UF or contact by telephone on 01463/228700 for further advice.
Related Businesses
Related Articles
As intimated in Highland Council's budget plan, a new senior management structure is to be implemented following approval by Council 14th March. It reconfigures the senior management team into two layers, rather than three and brings Highland Council into line with other benchmarked authorities.
Today, Morrison Construction introduced some of their local apprentices who are working on the UK Governments' Levelling Up Funded refurbishment project at the Northern Meeting Park in Inverness. All these apprentices have been recruited from the Highland area.
The by-election to elect a councillor to represent Ward 19 - Inverness South on The Highland Council has been won by Duncan Cameron McDonald - Independent who was one of the eight candidates who contested the vacancy. Voters in the ward went to the poll yesterday (Thursday 11 April) and the by-election count was held this morning in The Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness.
The Technology Placement Programme offers funding to businesses in the Highland Council area to cover up to 70% of the cost of employing a student or graduate. The Technology Placement Programme offers funding to businesses in the Highland Council area to cover up to 70% of the cost of employing a student or graduate.
Following the success of its Business Digital Grant scheme launched last year, The Highland Council is delighted to announce further funding. This is to help Highland companies access digital support alongside other business growth support.
The Highland Council is delighted to confirm a highly successful second year for Public Service Obligation (PSO) flights between Wick and Aberdeen. The period from April 2023 to March 2024 has seen a substantial increase in passenger numbers, with several months seeing over 1,000 passengers using the service, and overall the service has seen year on year growth of 25%.
Members of Highland Council, who met on Thursday 14 March 2024, approved a corporate Digital Ambition, which has been designed to deliver significant organisational change across Council services, recognising the current priorities within the organisation. The Strategy, which is embedded within the wider Council Delivery Plan, has been developed to focus attention and resources on areas of change which will deliver the greatest benefit to the Council.
The Council remains committed to supporting mentoring in our schools, including the support that is currently delivered through the MCR Pathways programme. Highland Council is currently undertaking a review of Employability Support provided by a number of different council services and how these relate to the work carried out by external partners and in our schools.
Highland Council members have considered and agreed a revised draft Highland Outcome Improvement Plan. The partnership plan has been reviewed and updated by the Community Planning Partnership.
Members at today's (14 March 2024) meeting of The Highland Council agreed the local authority's new draft Community Wealth Building Strategy. They were also asked to note that a period of public engagement on the draft will now begin, with a final strategy returning to full Council for consideration in September.
