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
At the Highland Council Economy and Infrastructure Committee. (Thursday 2 May 2024) Members had the opportunity to review the work the Council is doing to progress active travel and improve road safety before approving the next steps.
At the meeting of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee members had the opportunity to review the last two years of the Community Regeneration Funding Programme before agreeing changes to how the 2024/25 programme will be delivered. Committee Chair, Cllr Ken Gowans said: "Following a successful two years, it is a good time to review what has gone well and what can be done better so we can continue to build on success, and seamlessly move the focus onto how best to support the delivery of projects." "With 279 live projects and over £6million of committed funds still to be claimed, there is no doubt as to the value and impact of the programme's potential.
The Highland Council's In-House bus service pilot project was launched in January 2023. The success of its first year of operation in delivering savings and creating a valued and reliable service was highlighted at today’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee.
Members of Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee today (2 May 2024) approved the local authority's draft Ecology Strategy and Action Plan which will now move forward to an 12-week public consultation. The Ecology Strategy sets out an ambitious set of actions to tackle biodiversity loss and address the ecological emergency.
Economy and Infrastructure Committee members today (2 May 2024) agreed to direct £100K from the Council's share of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to fund a new staff training programme at the Inverness Castle Experience. The funding will enable the project team to provide specialist visitor attraction training to young people identified through partners at Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).
The Housing and Property Committee met on Wednesday 1 May 2024 and noted the Housing Service performance report 2023/24 that met the agreed priorities and associated initiatives in the Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028. The report highlighted a number of achievements in 2023/24 in increasing housing supply.
Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn have been appointed as Assistant Chief Executives with The Highland Council. Convener of the Council, Cllr Bill Lobban said: "I am delighted to say that Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn have been appointed as Assistant Chief Executives with The Highland Council.
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.
